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Celebrated Spies and 
Famous Mysteries of the Great War 







By GEORGE BARTON 



THE AMBASSADOE^S TEUNK 

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THE MYSTEEY OF THE 
EED FLAME 

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THE STEANGE ADVENTUEES 

OF BEOMLEY BAENES 
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THE WOELD'S GEEATEST 
MILITAEY SPIES AND 
SECEET SEEVICE AGENTS 

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CELEBEATED SPIES AND 

FAMOUS MYSTEEIES OF 

THE GEEAT WAE 

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THE PAGE COMPANY 
53 Beacon Steeet, Boston 







LORD KITCHENER 



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CELEBRATED SPIES 

and 

FAMOUS MYSTERIES 

»/ 

THE GREAT WAR 



By GEORGE BARTON 

Author of " The World's Greatest Military Spies, 

" The Ambassador's Trunk," " The Strange 

Adventures of Bromley Barnes," " The 

Mystery of the Red Flame," etc. 



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Illustrated 




THE PAGE COMPANY 
BOSTON © MDCCCCXIX 



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Copyright, 1929, by 
The Page Company 



Ail rights reserved 



First Impression, October, 1919 



m -7 1919 



©a A 



535659 



'^TO I 



TO 
JOSEPH MORGAN ROGERS 

THE KINDEST OF CRITICS 



INTRODUCTION 

This book, while complete in itself, may be accepted 
as a companion volume to my earlier production, " The 
World's Greatest Military Spies and Secret Service 
Agents." The previous work pictured the notable 
spies of the past from the days of the first Napoleon 
until the Spanish-American War, while the present 
narrative deals with the secret romance and adventure 
of the world's greatest war. 

It will be noticed that the subject matter of these 
pages covers not only the celebrated spies of the war, 
but also the great mysteries of the awful conflict. 
Thus we have a combination of real stories which, for 
absorbing interest, will compete with the most thrilling 
tales of fiction. These actual men and women fur- 
nish the color to the sadness and the gray monotony of 
the war. Some of the characters rest under deserved 
obloquy. One of the saddest reflections is that every 
war produces its Benedict Arnolds, and the present 
one furnishes no exception to this rule. But human 
nature is a complex thing. To understand motives, it 
is necessary to study the personality of the subject 
and all of the details leading to the act, and even then 
we are often inclined to suspend judgment. Such a 
bundle of contradictions are the creatures known as 
men and women. 

This is not a history of the espionage of the war. 
It is not a story of the German intrigues in America 



via INTRODUCTION 

and elsewhere. These things have already been told 
in great detail in other publications. It is rather a 
series of pen pictures relating to certain dramatic fig- 
ures of the war. Even while we condemn the deeds, 
we wonder at the audacity and the courage of the 
criminals. Could there possibly be a more startling 
difference than is shown in the character of the three 
women whose stories are recounted ? The sublime de- 
votion of the martyr-nurse and the recklessness of the 
Javanese dancer and the Turkish beauty will be re- 
membered long after the war has passed into history. 

Bolo Pasha, the lobster dealer, decorated by the 
Khedive of Egypt, who handled millions of dollars 
and was finally brought to trial by the American Secre- 
tary of State, is a more fascinating character than any- 
thing to be found in the pages of history. Yet he is 
fairly matched by the man who manufactured bombs 
to destroy Allied ships, and the childlike German who 
dynamited the Vanceboro bridge. Quite different, and 
yet as absorbingly interesting, are the stories of the 
curious fate of Lord Kitchener and the strange mys- 
tery concerning the last end of the Czar of Russia. 

Wherever it has been possible to present documen- 
tary evidence it has been done. This is particularly 
true of the story of the mad adventure of Sir Roger 
Casement. His case has been difficult to classify with 
anything like precision. But it is clear that it could 
not be omitted from a book which pretends to relate 
the picturesque, dramatic and mysterious sides of the 
war. Was he patriot, traitor or lunatic? Opinions 
differ, according to the point of view. Not less re- 



INTRODUCTION ix 

markable than his exploit and trial was the attempt 
to obtain clemency for this strange man. Conan 
Doyle led in this movement, and associated with him 
were other public and literary men whose patriotism 
and devotion to the British Empire cannot be ques- 
tioned. They inclined to the opinion that Casement 
was not mentally responsible, although those who were 
with him in his last hours insist that his mind was as 
clear as a bell. 

The writer desires to express his indebtedness to 
Michael Francis Doyle for the photograph of Sir 
Roger Casement; to the report of the Casement trial, 
published in the series of " Notable English Trials '* 
and ably edited by George H. Knott, barrister-at-law 
of the Middle Temple; to Mr. M. H. de Young, of the 
San Francisco Chronicle, for excellent portraits of two 
of the defendants in the case of the Hindu Plots; to 
Mr. A. Bruce Bielaski, former Chief of the Bureau of 
Investigation, for his polite answer to certain queries ; 
to Mr. Carl Ackerman and the New York Times for 
permission to use the report of his investigation into 
the mystery concerning the last end of the Czar; to 
Earl E. Sperry, professor of History in Syracuse Uni- 
versity, for extracts from his able reports on German 
plots in the United States during our period of neu- 
trality, and to all others who aided in the gathering 
of the material presented. 

The stories speak for themselves, and they are 
offered with the assurance that every effort has been 
made to present them fairly and accurately. 

G. B, 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER FACE 

I The Curious Disappearance of Lord 

Kitchener 3 

II Miss Edith Cavell — First Martyr of 

THE Great War 21 

III The Fate of Nicholas II — The Great- 

est Mystery of the War 47 

IV Consul-General Gottschalk and the 

Mystery of the Cyclops 93 

V The Judicial Murder of Captain Charles 

A. Fryatt 115 

VI Eugene Van Doren and the Secret Press 

OF Belgium I43 

VII The Mad Adventure of Sir Roger Case- 
ment 157 

VIII The Mystery of the Turkish Beauty . 189 

IX The Romantic Life of the Dutch-Java- 
nese Dancer Who Was Shot as a Spy . 201 

X Amazing Adventures and Tragic Death 

OF BoLo Pasha 215 

XI The Story of Lieutenant Robert Fay and 

the Ship Bomb Plots 251 

XII Ram Chandra and the German-Hindu 

Plots in the United States .... 265 

XIII The Soldier of Fortune Who Became a 

German Spy 279 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XIV The Artless German Who Dynamited 

THE Vanceboro Bridge 291 

XV The Unsolved Mystery of the Master 

German Spy 309 

XVI The Dark Mystery Surrounding the 

Murder of the Archduke Ferdinand . 329 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 



Lord Kitchener (See page 2) . . . Frontispiece 

Miss Edith Cavell 22 

Nicholas II . . . ^ 54 

The Cyclops 96 

Captain Charles A. Fryatt 120 

Cartoon Depicting the Kaiser in Hell . . . 147 

Sir Roger Casement 164 

Madame Despina Storch 192 

Mlle. Mata-Hari 208 

BoLO Pasha . . » 220 

Lieutenant Robert Fay 254 

Ram Chandra 272 

Henry Bode 284 

Werner Horn ............ 296 

Wolf von Ingel 312 

Archduke Ferdinand and His Consort , . . 342 



I 



THE CURIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF 
LORD KITCHENER 



THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 



THE CURIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF 
LORD KITCHENER 

WHEN the armistice was signed, and the order 
was given to quit firing in the great World 
War, more than one person half expected to 
see Lord Kitchener emerge from a German prison 
camp. 

The fact of their having been disappointed does not 
in any way help to explain the strange disappearance of 
the celebrated soldier. It is known that Lord Kitch- 
ener embarked on the Hampshire on the afternoon of 
June 5, 19 1 6, bound for Russia, and that the vessel 
was sunk by a mine or a torpedo that night. The pre- 
sumption, of course, was that the famous soldier was 
drowned, but the circumstances surrounding the sink- 
ing of the vessel, and the fact that no one could be 
found who could testify that he was on the ship when 
it actually sunk, only served to intensify what may be 
justly regarded as one of the curious mysteries of the 
war. 

One of the seamen on the Hampshire testifies that, 
in his opinion, Lord Kitchener went down with the 
ship, but this was, after all, simply an opinion, and it is 

3 



4 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

matched by others who expressed the belief that the 
great English soldier had reached land and was then 
taken prisoner and concealed by the Germans. The 
theory may be fantastic, but so were many incidents of 
this strangest of all the strange wars of history. 
Kitchener, in his time, was called "the greatest per- 
sonality *' of our day. He was certainly one of the 
most interesting characters of his generation, and when 
he stepped out of the limelight there was a void that 
was never afterwards quite adequately filled. 

There have been greater soldiers than Lord Kitch- 
ener; there have been clearer thinkers, and there have 
been men who attracted the loyalty of their subordi- 
nates to a stronger degree, but it is hard to recall any 
man who combined all of these characteristics in such 
a striking way, and who, at the same time, had such a 
puzzling personality as the man who was last seen alive 
standing on the deck of the Hampshire, and stolidly 
looking forward to what seemed to be certain death. 

Lord Kitchener had all of the earmarks of a fatalist. 
His personal traits helped to bear out this impression. 
He was as brave as a lion, and had no fear whatever 
of danger or death. He was an exacting soldier, but 
fair to his men. He was reticent to an unusual degree. 
He has often been called sphinxlike, and the descrip- 
tion is a fair one, even though it is known that he could 
relax and become a most entertaining talker in the 
privacy of a circle of intimate friends. He had premo- 
nitions about the length and character of the war that 
were almost uncanny in their precision, and the accu- 
racy with which they were afterwards confirmed. His 



CURIOUS DISAPPEARANCE 5 

years in Egypt, and his association with the people of 
that strange land threw about him an atmosphere of 
mysticism which set him apart from the ordinary run 
of public men, and made him a marked man to the 
people of England, and, indeed, to the world. All of 
these things combined to throw a strange glamour 
about the stories of his disappearance. 

Before taking up the evidence in the case it is de- 
sirable to briefly pass over the life of Lord Kitchener 
from the time war was declared by England until the 
moment he was last seen alive. It was on the fifth 
of August, 19 14, that he was appointed Secretary of 
State for War, and on the very next day he made a 
request in the House of Commons, through Mr. As- 
quith, for five hundred thousand additional men for 
the army. At the same time he advertised for one 
hundred thousand recruits. These were the men who 
afterward achieved fame as " the first hundred thou- 
, sand," and the story of how they were drilled and 
whipped into shape will always be one of the inspiring 
tales of the great war. The British people were en- 
thusiastic, to be sure, but they did not think the nation 
would have much difficulty in winning the war. It 
was Lord Kitchener who gave them the first inkling 
of the gigantic task that lay before them. He boldly 
declared that the war would last three years or longer. 

That assertion, which was repeated on more than 
one occasion, did not serve to enhance his popularity, 
but it was eventually the means of arousing the British 
bull dog spirit, and of creating a preparedness move- 
ment which undoubtedlv saved the nation from the 



6 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

perils of over-confidence. When the British Expedi- 
tionary Force began to embark for France the Field 
Marshal gave each man a message of cheer and of 
caution. " You are ordered abroad," he said, *' as a 
soldier of the King to help our French comrades 
against the invasion of a common enemy. You have^ 
to perform a task which will need your courage, your 
energy, your patience. Remember that the honor of 
the British Army depends on your individual conduct. 
It will be your duty, not only to set an example of 
discipline and perfect steadiness under fire, but also 
to maintain the most friendly relations with those 
whom you are helping in this struggle. The opera- 
tions in which you are engaged will, for the most part, 
take place in a friendly country, and you can do your 
own country no better service than in showing your- 
self in France and Belgium in the true character of 
a British soldier. 

" Be invariably courteous, considerate and kind. 
Never do anything likely to injure or destroy prop- 
erty, and always look upon looting as a disgraceful 
act. You are sure to meet with a welcome and to 
be trusted. Your conduct must justify that welcome 
and that trust.'' 

Lord Kitchener's ideals of a good soldier, as thus 
set forth, were exemplified in his own conduct. In- 
cidentally, it might be stated, that in the early stages 
of the war in England there was much opposition to 
the idea of sending English soldiers into France, just 
as in the United States there were protests against 
sending our own soldiers abroad. Mr. Winston 



CURIOUS DISAPPEARANCE 7 

Churchill is authority for the statement that men of 
great power and influence, who afterward labored tire- 
lessly and rendered immeasurable service in the war, 
were found resolutely opposed to the landing of a 
single soldier on the Continent. 

At the very outset. Lord Kitchener emphasized his 
belief — then held by so few — that the war was 
likely to be a long and difficult one. In his first speech 
in the House of Lords he said, among other things: 
*' While associating myself in the fullest degree, for 
the prosecution of the war, with my colleagues in His 
Majesty's Government, my position on this bench does 
not, in any way, imply that I belong to any political 
party for, as a soldier, I have no politics. The terms 
of my service are the same as those under which some 
of the finest portions of our manhood, now so will- 
ingly stepping forward to join the Colors, are en- 
gaging — that is to say, for the war, or, if it last 
longer than three years, then for three years. It 
has been asked why the latter limit has been fixed. 
It is because, should this disastrous war be prolonged 
— and no one can foretell with any certainty its dura- 
tion — then after three years' war there will be others 
fresh and fully prepared to take our places and see 
this matter through." 

From that date until the evening of his strange 
disappearance, Lord Kitchener worked unremittingly 
for the success of England and the Allies. We find 
him making speeches in the House of Lords, taking 
the stump and going about the country encouraging 
enlistments, hurrying over to France to assist Joffrc, 



8 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

holding midnight conferences at his home for the pur- 
pose of solving perplexing problems, calling on Queen 
Mary to supply hundreds of thousands of belts, and 
knitted socks for the troops, and in a score of other 
ways doing the work, seemingly, of a dozen men. 

In one famous speech at the Guildhall, he said im- 
pressively : " I shall want more men and still more, 
until the enemy is crushed." 

It was in the fall of 191 6 that Field Marshal 
Roberts, better known as " Bobs," died suddenly. 
Lord Kitchener paid a tribute to his memory in the 
House of Lords, and the words of eulogy he spoke 
on behalf of his dead comrade might easily be applied 
to himself. Kitchener, on that occasion, said : " He 
would himself, I feel sure, have wished for no hap- 
pier end than to pass away, the greatest soldier of 
our day, in the midst of the greatest Army the Em- 
pire has ever put in the field, with the sound of the 
shells and the cheers of his comrades still ringing in his 
ears. . . . He was one of the most tried and proven 
leaders of men the British race has ever produced, and 
the country at the present crisis can ill afford to lose 
the services of so eminent a military adviser. ... I, 
more than most men, had occasion to learn and admire 
his qualities of head and heart; his ripe experience and 
sage counsel were fully and freely offered to me to 
the end. To us soldiers, the record of his life will 
ever be a cherished possession. We mourn his loss, 
but hope to profit by his illustrious example." 

Shortly after that Kitchener made another notable 
recruiting speech at Guildhall, in the course of which 



CURIOUS DISAPPEARANCE 9 

he said : " Napoleon, when asked what were the 
three things necessary for a successful war, replied: 
* Money, money, money.' To-day we vary that phrase 
and say : * Men, material and money.' " He added : 
*' It has been well said that in every man's life there 
is one supreme hour to which all earlier experience 
moves, and from which all future results may be 
reckoned. For every individual Briton, as well as 
for our national existence, that solemn hour is now 
striking. Let us take heed of the great opportunity 
it offers, and which most assuredly we must grasp 
now and at once — or never. Let each man of us 
see that we spare nothing, shirk nothing, shrink from 
nothing, if only we may lend our full weight to the 
impetus which shall carry to victory the cause of 
our honor and our freedom." 

Soon after Lord Kitchener left England for a short 
visit to the Eastern Theater of War. During his 
journey through France he conferred with General 
Joffre. Later he visited Anzac and met General Sar- 
rail. It was the first time the two men had met since 
the beginning of the war, and General Sarrail said that 
he spoke for every soldier at the French front when 
he paid a tribute to Kitchener's extraordinary genius 
for organization, and the firmness, tenacity and thor- 
oughness with which he carried out all the military 
and other w^ork he undertook. 

" I well remember," said this general, " our two 
meetings. What struck me was the fine, tall figure and 
its soldierly bearing. We discussed at length many 
important and delicate questions, and I was charmed 



10 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

not only with the manner and extent of Lord Kitchen- 
er's knowledge to the minutest details of the subjects 
discussed, but his wonderfully complete knowledge 
of the French language, and more especially, of the 
technical terms and phrases relating to all such topics, 
whereby the deliberations were immensely facilitated, 
and an interpreter was wholly unnecessary." 

Presently Lord Kitchener reached Athens and had 
a long audience with King Constantine, and an in- 
terview with the Prime Minister of Greece. From 
thence he went to Rome, had interviews with Signor 
Falandra and others, and left for the Italian General 
Headquarters at the front. Here he was received 
by King Victor Emmanuel. On the way home he 
stopped in Paris, had an interview with M. Briand, 
lunched with the French President, and afterwards at- 
tended a war council. 

On his return to England his activities became more 
pronounced than ever. He not only paid close atten- 
tion to his military duties, but spent considerable time 
in arousing the enthusiasm of the English people, and 
in impressing upon them the necessity of constant 
economy during the continuance of the war. 

We now come to the most eventful incident in the 
life of this unusual man. On the second of June 
he had a private audience with King George, and three 
days later he traveled to the extreme north of Scotland 
with the members of his staff, and embarked for 
Russia on the Hampshire. It was said at the time 
that he was going on a special secret mission but, 
of course, no inkling of the character of this mission 



CUEIOUS DISAPPEARANCE 11 

was given to the public. Two destroyers had been 
sent with the Hampshire as an escort, but the weather 
was so rough that they were sent back. At eight 
o'clock that night, w^hile the watch below were stand- 
ing by their hammocks, ready to turn in, an explosion 
occurred. All the lights on the vessel immediately 
went out and a terrible draught came rushing along 
the mess deck, blowing off the men's caps. No one 
knew exactly what had happened, but while the sailors 
were standing on the half-deck, an officer came with 
Lord Kitchener from the captain's cabin. He called 
out " Make room for Lord Kitchener," and the men 
made a passageway to let him pass. He went on the 
deck and stood there as passive and unconcerned as 
though he were in his office in London. On the fol- 
lowing morning the Admiralty received a telegram 
from Admiral Jellicoe, in w-hich he reported "with 
deep regret that His Majesty's Ship Hampshire, with 
Lord Kitchener and staff on board, was sunk last night 
about eight o'clock, to the west of the Orkneys, either 
by a mine or torpedo." 

That was the curt, official manner of announcing 
one of the greatest disasters of the war. Observers 
in the neighborhood afterwards reported that four 
boats were seen to leave the ship. Patrol vessels and 
destroyers at once proceeded to the spot, and a portion 
was sent along the coast to search; but only some 
bodies and a capsized boat were found. 

Seaman Charles Walter Rogerson gives the follow- 
ing narrative of the tragic event : " I was the last of 
the survivors to see Lord Kitchener before leaving 



12 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the ship. In the papers I notice that his Lordship 
is said to have been drowned by the overturning of a 
boat, but this is not correct. Lord Kitchener went 
down with the ship. He did not leave her. I saw 
Captain Savill helping his boat's crew to clear a way 
to the galley. The captain at this time was calling 
to Lord Kitchener to go to the boat, but owing to the 
noise of the wind and the sea Lord Kitchener ap- 
parently could not hear him. When the explosion 
occurred Lord Kitchener walked calmly from the cap- 
tain's cabin, went up the ladder and on to the quarter- 
deck. There I saw him walking quite coolly and col- 
lectedly up and down, talking to two of his officers. 
All three were wearing khaki without overcoats. In 
fact, they were dressed just as they were when they 
boarded the ship. 

" Lord Kitchener did not seem in the least per- 
turbed, but calmly waited the preparations for aban- 
doning the ship, which were going on in a quiet, steady, 
and orderly way. The crew went to their stations, 
obeying orders steadily, and did their best to get out 
the boats, but that proved impossible. Owing to 
the rough weather no boats could be lowered; those 
that we got out were smashed up at once. No boats 
left the ship. What the people on shore thought to 
be boats leaving were three rafts. Men did get into 
the boats as they lay in their cradles, thinking that 
as the ship went from under them the boats would 
float. But the ship sank by the head, and when she 
did she turned a complete somersault forward, carry- 
ing down with her all the boats and those in them. 



CURIOUS DISAPPEARANCE 13 

I do not think Lord Kitchener got into a boat at 
all. When I sprang on to a raft he was still on the 
starboard side of the quarter-deck talking to his offi- 
cers. I won't say he did not feel the strain of the 
perilous situation like the rest of us, but he gave no 
outward sign of nervousness, and from the little time 
that elapsed between my leaving the ship and her 
sinking I feel certain that Lord Kitchener went down 
with her, standing on the deck at the time. Of the 
civilian members of his suite I saw nothing." 

" Although I do not really know what happened, 
my belief is that the Hampshire struck a mine, which 
exploded under her fore-part. It could not have been 
a submarine in such weather. An internal explosion 
in one of the magazines would have ripped the ship 
apart. It was hard luck to come to such an end 
after going through the Horn Reef battle unscathed. 
In that battle we led the Iron Duke into action, and 
our shells sank a German light cruiser and two sub- 
marines. We did not have a single casualty on our 
ship, although big shells fairly rained into the water 
all around us." 

These and other statements were made immediately 
after the disaster, and under the stress of great ex- 
citement, but a reference to the reports of the finding 
of the Admiralty does not differ very greatly from the 
stories of the seamen as told at that time. This 
official report reads as follows: 

" The Hampshire was proceeding along the west 
coast of the Orkneys ; a heavy gale was blowing, with 



14 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the seas breaking over the ship, which necessitated 
her being battened down. 

*' Between 7.30 and 7.45 p. m. the vessel struck a 
mine and began at once to settle by the bows, heeling 
over to starboard before she finally went down about 
fifteen minutes after. 

" Orders were given by the Captain for all hands 
to go to their established stations for abandoning ship. 
Some of the hatches were opened and the ship's com- 
pany went quickly to their stations. 

*' Efforts were made without success to lower some 
of the boats, one of them being broken in half during 
the process and her occupants thrown into the water. 

** As the men were moving up one of the hatchways 
to their stations, Lord Kitchener, accompanied by a 
Naval Officer, appeared ; the latter called out, ' Make 
way for Lord Kitchener,' and they both went up on 
to the quarter-deck, and subsequently four military 
officers were seen on the quarter-deck walking aft on 
the port side. 

" The Captain called out for Lord Kitchener to 
come up to the forebridge near where the Captain's 
boat was hoisted ; he was also heard calling for Lord 
Kitchener to get into the boat, but no one is able to 
say zvhether Lord Kitchener got into the boat or not, 
nor what occurred to this boat, nor did any one see 
any of the boats get clear of the ship. 

" Large numbers of the crew used their life-saving 
belts, waistcoats, etc., which appear to have proved 
effective in keeping them afloat. 

** Three rafts were safely launched, and, with about 



CURIOUS DISAPPEARANCE 15 

fifty to seventy men on each of them, got clear of the 
ship. 

*' A private soldier appears to have left the ship 
on one of the rafts, but it is not known what became 
of him. 

" It was light up to about ii p. m. 

" Though the rafts with these large numbers of 
men got safely away, in one case out of over seventy 
men on board, six only survived; the survivors all 
report that men gradually dropped off and even died 
on board the rafts from exhaustion, exposure and 
cold. Some of the crew must have perished trying 
to land on the rocky coast after such long exposure, 
and some died after landing." 

In concluding this narrative of the strange disap- 
pearance of Lord Kitchener, it is hard to resist the 
temptation to quote the tribute which was paid to 
Kitchener's memory by Lord Desborough, who was 
an intimate personal friend of the great soldier. His 
remarks will give, perhaps, a more vivid portrait of 
the creator of *' the first hundred thousand " than any- 
thing that might be written in a formal biography. 

Lord Desborough spoke at the Canadian Red Cross 
Hospital at Cliveden, and his remarks are given in 
the London Daily Telegraph of June 17, 1 916. He 
said : 

" When I first knew him, he was a most striking 
figure, tall, spare, with the most wonderful, piercing, 
bright blue eyes set very far apart. His eyes were 
what he called ' burnt out ' afterwards. He was doing 
a desert ride on camels with a Bedouin Arab tribe 



16 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

with whom he was * blood brother,' and the sun off the 
sand in their long ride, like sun off snow, nearly ruined 
his eyes. I asked him why he did not wear colored 
glasses, but he said a ' blood brother ' of an Arab 
tribe could not wear glasses. I remember my brother, 
who was in the loth Hussars, saying that Kitchener 
was always working, up at sunrise drilling his men, and 
learning Arabic, of which he knew even the dialects. 

Another physical calamity befell him when his horse 
fell on him when he was riding alone in India. Some 
natives saw the accident, but were too terrified to go 
near him, but at last they summoned up courage 
to bring the news that the ' Lord of War,' as they 
called him, was lying seriously hurt. He suffered 
much from his broken leg afterwards. Indeed, when 
he came back from India he determined to get his 
leg broken and set again, but he could not find a 
surgeon who would do it, and this was one of the 
few occasions on which he did not get his way. The 
feelings of the natives of India were shared by those 
in Africa. On the field of Omdurman I met one who 
had been through the advance up the Nile. He said 
Kitchener never slept, and appeared when least ex- 
pected among every unit of the force, which his spirit 
pervaded. 

" Once again when he was at Taplow I asked him 
about South Africa, and he told me everything with- 
out the slightest 'swagger' or self-praise; in fact, I 
think modesty was one of his greatest qualities. He 
looked just the same as before the war, except that 
he was a little more sun-burnt. He said he wondered 



CURIOUS DISAPPEARANCE 17 

what the Boers would think of our life over here in 
the summer, going lazily on the river in boats and 
lounging about all day, and he said that they * did 
not look at life that way.' Whatever was going on 
he seemed to pay the greatest attention to it, even 
if it was not of the slightest importance. 

** Lord Kitchener was not in private life the stem, 
unbending sphinx of popular imagination. Indeed, 
no one to his friends was a more stimulating com- 
panion. When alone with you he was very talkative, 
and his curious humor and his quaint summing-up of 
individuals and situations was an unfailing source of 
interest and surprise. He was absolutely unaffected, 
and had an ingrained distaste for popular demonstra- 
tion, speechifying and banquets. 

" Children accepted him as a natural friend. I re- 
member my little girl once meeting us as we came in 
for tea from a walk, outside the tea room (she was, 
I may say, his god-daughter), and she immediately 
said to the great Lord Kitchener, ' Don't go in there, 
they are making such a chatter ; come up and have tea 
with me,' and up he went right to the top of the house, 
with his lame leg, and sat down with Imogen and 
her nurse and had a long talk. 

" There is one short story about him and the Army 
I think I may tell, as it helps you to understand him. 
A high staff officer, who has now a command, came 
to see him from the front, and he put searching ques- 
tions to him about munitions, and then he said : * I 
hope the Army does not think I have let them down,' 
and two large tears rolled down from his stern eyes. 



18 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

The munitions difficulty was part of our unprepared- 
ness for war. The contractors undertook to carry 
out contracts, but owing in a great measure to their 
best men leaving for the war, found themselves un- 
able to do so, and Lord Kitchener had terrible dis- 
appointments. 

" Work was the keynote of Lord Kitchener's life, 
and work is the legacy he leaves to us. Amusements, 
as such, did not amuse him; his aim was always to 
get something big accomplished, and he accomplished 
it. And now he is gone, and it feels, as I have seen 
it described, ' Like Nelson's column falling — some- 
thing national, almost symbolic, gone,' but his work 
and his example remain, and, if it had to be, I hope he 
may lie where he is with a British warship for his 
coffin." 

The disappearance of Lord Kitchener under such 
circumstances furnishes a dramatic close to a remark- 
able life. Is it any wonder that the imaginative should 
seek to envelop his exit in a cloud of romance and 
conjecture? The average hard-headed Britisher will 
have no doubt but that he found a watery grave. The 
unusual man, with a well-developed sense of imag- 
ination, will construct a tale of mystery such as no 
novelist would care to risk on paper. The writer 
does not presume to speak for either side. The plain 
facts in the case, so far as they are known, have been 
given in an impartial manner. The reader will have 
fD dxjSLW his or her own conclusions. 



II 



MISS EDITH CAVELL — FIRST MARTYR 
OF THE GREAT WAR 



II 

MISS EDITH CAVELL — FIRST MARTYR 
OF THE GREAT WAR 

WHEN Baron von der Lancken permitted the 
execution of Miss Edith Cavell, he furnished 
the first martyr of the Great World War. 
He did more than that. He dealt Germany a blow 
that robbed it of the respect of civilization. There had 
been many unpardonable and detestable acts before that 
event, but when this gentle Englishwoman was placed 
before a firing squad, the shot that took her life was 
heard around the world, and decent men and women, 
regardless of race or religion, instinctively arrayed 
themselves against the Kaiser and his brutal system. 
It was the death knell of tyranny, and in her own 
way this little woman did as much for the cause of 
liberty as a division of infantry or a squadron of battle- 
ships. 

She was a teacher and a nurse, and before tlie war 
was a directress of a home for nurses in Brussels. 
Her whole life had been spent in doing good for others, 
and there is every reason for believing that the alleged 
acts for which she was executed were prompted by 
a love of humanity. In the beginning there was no 
suggestion that she had been guilty of espionage, but 

21 



22 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

when the wrath of the world was aroused over her 
death, her stupid and cruel executioners began to 
speak of her as '' the spy Cavell." The German Chief 
of the Political Department in Belgium was warned 
that the death of Miss Cavell would disgust the world, 
but he laughed cynically and said, *' I am sure the effect 
will be excellent." It was excellent because, by laying 
her life on the altar of liberty, this courageous and 
lion-hearted woman helped to redeem the world. 

It was shortly after her arrest, on August 5, 1915, 
that the matter first came to the attention of Brand 
Whitlock, the United States Minister to Belgium. It 
was reported that she had been taken into custody 
on the charge of aiding stragglers from the Allied 
armies to cross the Belgian frontier into Holland. It 
was alleged that she gave them money, clothing and 
information concerning the route to be followed. At 
that time the affairs of Great Britain in Belgium were 
being cared for by the American Minister. A cable- 
gram of inquiry from London caused Mr. Whitlock to 
write to the German authorities to ask if it were true 
that Miss Cavell had been arrested, and if it were true, 
that authorization be given to Gaston de La Leval, the 
legal counselor of the American Legation, to take up 
the matter of her defense. There was no answer to 
this communication, and a day or so later Mr. Whitlock 
wrote a similar letter to Baron von der Lancken, Chief 
of the Political Department. This brought a response. 
The Baron admitted that Miss Cavell had been ar- 
rested, and he added : 

" She has herself admitted that she concealed in 




Copyright International Film Service, Inc. 

MISS EDITH CAVELL 



FIRST MARTYR 23 

her house French and English soldiers, as well as 
Belgians of military age, all desirous of proceeding 
to the front. She has also admitted having furnished 
these soldiers with the money necessary for the journey 
to France, and having facilitated their departure from 
Belgium by providing them with guides, who en- 
abled them to cross the Dutch frontier secretly. Miss 
Cavell's defense is in the hands of the advocate Braun, 
who, I may add, is already in touch with the compe- 
tent German authorities. 

" In view of the fact that the Department of the Gov- 
ernor-General, as a matter of principle, does not allow 
accused persons to have any interviews whatever, I 
much regret my inability to procure for M. de Leva! 
permission to visit Miss Cavell, as long as she is in 
solitary confinement." 

This was disappointing, but it did not dampen the 
ardor of the American officials. Mr. Hugh Gibson, 
the Secretary of the Legation, had a premonition that 
Miss Cavell was doomed to death even before she was 
tried, and this filled him with an intense desire to do 
everything in his power to avert the tragedy. In 
this he was seconded ably by Monsieur Leval, who, al- 
though a Belgian, and thus in the black books of the 
Germans, did not spare himself any effort in a brave 
attempt to save the unfortunate woman. 

Monsieur Leval wrote to the lawyer Braun, who 
said that he had found it impossible to attend to the 
case and that he had turned it over to his friend and 
associate, Mr. Kirschen. Thereupon the Belgian got 
into communication with Kirschen, and explained to 



24 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

him the deep interest that was felt in the case by the 
American Legation. One of the difficulties of the 
situation lay in the fact that lawyers defending prison- 
ers before the German Military Court were not al- 
lowed to see their clients before the trial, and were not 
permitted to know what was in possession of the 
prosecution. It was playing the game with loaded 
dice, but that was the German way all through the 
war. When all of these things had been explained to 
Monsieur Leval he said that the least he could do 
would be to attend the trial to see that Miss Cavell 
was given a semblance of her rights. 

" But, my dear sir," protested the advocate, in great 
alarm, *' that will never do. You must not think of 
such a thing. Your presence would do Miss Cavell 
more harm than good. The Judge would resent the 
attendance of the representative of the American Lega- 
tion. If you really desire to help the prisoner, you 
will stay away." 

Astonishing as this may seem, it was the truth. 
Consultation with those who were familiar with the 
situation proved that Mr. Kirschner was correct, and 
so, with a heavy heart. Monsieur Leval remained away 
from the sittings of the Court. The trial began 
October 7, and ended the next day. Miss Cavell was 
tried under paragraph 58 of the German Military Code, 
which says : 

" Any person who, with the intention of aiding 
the hostile Power or causing harm to German or 
Allied troops, is guilty of one of the crimes of para- 



FIRST MARTYR 25 

griph 90 of the German Penal Code, will be sen- 
tenced to death for treason." 

The paragraph 90 thus referred to is that of " con- 
ducting soldiers to the enemy." All of the legal au- 
thorities who have gone into this phase of the case 
agree that it was a strained interpretation of the facts 
to try Miss Cavell under this section of the law. Her 
perfect candor, which would have helped her in any 
civilized court, only helped to seal her fate with her 
barbarous judges. She admitted that she had helped 
soldiers to cross the frontier, and that some of them 
had written to her from England thanking her for 
what she had done. She was fearless enough to say 
that she had helped them to escape because she thought 
they would be shot by the Germans if they did not 
get out of Belgium. After all the evidence was in 
— and it was all one-sided — the Public Prosecutor 
asked the Court to pass sentence of death on Miss 
Cavell and eight other prisoners. 

Monsieur Leval then asked permission to see Miss 
Cavell, and also asked that Mr. Gahan, the English 
Chaplain, be permitted to visit her. He received a 
flat refusal. They told him he could not see her un- 
til the judgment was pronounced and signed. It was 
also decided that Mr. Gahan could not visit her, but 
that she could see any of the three German Protestant 
clergymen attached to the prison. 

While her friends on the outside were trying to save 
Miss Cavell, she was awaiting her fate with Christian 
fortitude. One of her fellow prisoners was Dr. Hos- 
telet, of Brussels. He escaped with a five years' sen- 



26 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

tence, and when the armistice was signed, was released. 
Like all who came in contact with the heroic English- 
woman, he was filled with admiration for her calm 
courage. He had known her before her arrest, and 
was familiar with the whole circumstances surround- 
ing the case. Writing of those earlier days in Brus- 
sels, he says : 

'' In my frequent visits to Miss Cavell, I was able to 
see the risks she was running. The presence of a lot 
of men was obvious as soon as one entered the house — 
voices, songs, cries. I often pointed this out to her, 
and she replied calmly and resignedly : ' What would 
you? I cannot impose silence on them.' She even 
consented to let them go into town to amuse them- 
selves. I remember her fright when one night some 
of them came back singing and disorderly, scandal- 
izing the neighborhood. 

*' It was then that I and some other friends deter- 
mined to put these dangerous guests in private houses 
or with reliable inn-keepers. But the more we housed, 
the more came. One day six guides arrived bringing 
thirty men concentrated at Mons and sent to Rue de 
la Culture (Miss Cavell's home). At this time the 
home became publicly known as a refuge for fugitive 
soldiers. I was very worried and went to try to in- 
duce her to break off all relations for a time with this 
group of guides and soldiers, telling her that the work 
itself was imperiled and must be diverted into other 
channels. 

" We had sure knowledge, too, that some suspicious 
persons knew of our prearranged signals. But she 



FIRST MARTYR 27 

would not listen. ' Nothing but physical impossibil- 
ity, lack of space or lack of money, would make me 
close my house to Allied fugitives.' So she went on, 
never ceasing her devotion to the work until the Ger- 
man police got on her track and made three perquisi- 
tions in her house, after which she was arrested. In 
her trial she was accused of recruiting, but she only 
spoke the truth when she replied : ' My object was 
to get the men sent to me across the frontier; once 
there, they were free.' She was also accused of 
espionage. Denial here was absolutely justified. 
That espionage was facilitated through her is cer- 
tain, but she never took an active part in it. Absorbed 
in her work as head of a nurses' school, she never 
dreamt of running a recruiting office or a spy service. 
She wished to save men, Englishmen first, then Allies, 
and she gave herself up entirely to this humanitarian 
and patriotic work." 

Monsieur Leval made a full report to Brand Whit- 
lock, the American Minister, describing what he had 
done to assist Miss Cavell during the trial. He tells 
of the request of the Public Prosecutor to the Court, 
asking that the death sentence be passed on Miss 
Cavell, and then adds : 

" After I had found out these facts, I called at the 
Political Division of the German Government in 
Belgium and asked whether, now that the trial had 
taken place, permission would be granted to me to see 
Miss Cavell in jail as there certainly could no longer 
be any objection in refusing this permission. 

" The German official, Mr. Conrad, said that he 



28 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

would make the necessary inquiry at the Court and 
let me know later on. 

" I also asked that permission be granted to Mr. 
Gahan, the English clergyman, to see Miss Cavell. 

" At the same time we prepared at the Legation, 
to be ready for every eventuality, a petition for pardon 
addressed to the Governor-General in Belgium, and a 
transmitting note addressed to Baron von der Lancken. 

'* On Monday, at eleven o'clock, I called up Mr. 
Conrad on the telephone from the Legation — as I 
had already done previously on several occasions when 
making inquiries about the case — asking what the 
military court had decided about Mr. Gahan and my- 
self seeing Miss Cavell. He replied that Mr. Gahan 
could not see her, but that she could see any of the 
three German Protestant clergymen attached to the 
prison; and that I could not see her until judgment 
was pronounced and signed, but that this would prob- 
ably only take place in a day or so. I asked the Ger- 
man official to inform the Legation immediately after 
the passing of said judgment so that I might see Miss 
Cavell at once, thinking, of course, that the Legation 
might take immediate steps for Miss Cavell's pardon 
if the judgment really was a sentence of death. 

" Very surprised, to still receive no news from Mr. 
Kirschner, I then called at his house at 12.30, and 
was informed that he would not be there until about 
the end of the afternoon. I then called at 12.40 at 
the house of another lawyer interested in the case of 
a fellow prisoner, and found that he also was out. In 
the afternoon, however, the latter lawyer called at my 



FIRST MARTYR 29 

house saying that in the morning he had heard from the 
Gentian Kommandantur that judgment would be 
passed the following morning. He said he feared that 
the Court would be very severe with all the prisoners. 

"Shortly after this the lawyer left me, and while I 
was preparing a note about the case at 8.00 p. m., I 
was privately and reliably informed that the judg- 
ment had been delivered at five o'clock in the after- 
noon; that Miss Cavell had been sentenced to death, 
and that she would be shot at two o'clock the next 
morning. I told my informant that I was extremely 
surprised at this because the Legation had received 
no information yet, neither from the German authori- 
ties nor from Mr. Kirschner, but that the matter was 
too serious to run the smallest chance and that, there- 
fore, I would proceed immediately to the Legation to 
confer with Your Excellency, and take all possible 
steps to save Miss Cavell's life. 

" Accordirrg to Your Excellency's decision, Mr. 
Gibson and myself went with the Spanish Minister to 
see Baron von der Lancken, and the report of our in- 
terview and of our efforts to save Miss Cavell is given 
to you by Mr. Gibson." 

The report of Hugh Gibson, the Secretary of the 
American Legation at Brussels, to Mr. Brand Whit- 
lock, the American Minister, to which Monsieur Leval 
refers, says, among other things : 

*' We sent a messenger to Baron von der Lancken, 
urging him to return at once to see us in regard to a 
matter of utmost urgency. A little after ten o'clock he 
arrived, followed shortly after by Count Harrach and 



30 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

Herr von Falkenhausen, members of his staff. The 
circumstances of the case were explained to him and 
your note presented, and he read it aloud in our pres- 
ence. He expressed disbelief in the report that sen- 
tence had actually been passed and manifested some 
surprise that we should give credence to any report 
not emanating from official sources. He was quite in- 
sistent on knowing the exact source of our informa- 
tion, but this I did not feel at liberty to communicate 
to him. Baron von der Lancken stated that it was 
quite improbable that sentence had been pronounced; 
that even if so it would not be executed within so short 
a time, and that, in any event, it would be quite im- 
possible to take any action before morning. It was, 
of course, pointed out to him that if the facts were as 
we believed them to be, action would be useless unless 
taken at once. We urged him to ascertain the facts 
immediately and this, after some hesitancy, he agreed 
to do. He telephoned to the Presiding Judge of the 
Court Martial and returned in a short time to say that 
the facts were as we had represented them and that it 
was intended to carry out the sentence before morning. 
" We then presented as earnestly as possible your 
plea for delay; so far as I am able to judge, we 
neglected to present no phase of the matter which 
might have had any effect, emphasizing the horror of 
executing a woman, no matter what her offense, point- 
ing out that the death sentence had heretofore been 
imposed only for capital cases of espionage and that 
Miss Cavell was not even accused by the German au- 
thorities of anything so serious. 



FIRST MARTYR 31 

" I further called attention to the failure to comply 
•with Mr. Kirschner's promise to inform the Lega- 
tion of the sentence. I urged that, inasmuch as the 
offenses charged against Miss Cavell were long since 
accomplished, and that as she had been for some weeks 
in prison, a delay in carrying out the sentence could 
entail no danger to the German cause. I even went 
so far as to point out the fearful effect of a summary 
execution of this sort upon the public opinion, both 
here and abroad, and although I had no authority 
for doing so, called attention to the possibility that it 
might bring about reprisals. 

'' The Spanish Alinister forcibly supported all our 
representations and made an earnest plea for clem- 
ency. 

*' After some discussion Baron von der Lancken 
agreed to call the Military Governor on the telephone 
and learn whether he had already ratified the sentence, 
and whether there was any chance for clemency. He 
returned in about half an hour and stated that he had 
conferred personally with the Military Governor who 
said that he had acted in the case of Miss Cavell only 
after mature deliberation; that the circumstances in 
her case were of such a character that he considered 
the infliction of the death penalty imperative, and that 
in view of the circumstances of this case, he must de- 
cline to accept a plea for clemency, or any representa- 
tion in regard to the matter. 

" Baron von der Lancken then asked me to take 
back the note which I had presented to him. To 
this I demurred, pointing out that it was not a 



32 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

' requete en grace,' but merely a note to him trans- 
mitting a communication to the Governor which was, 
in itself, to be considered as the * requete en grace.' 
I pointed out that this was expressly stated in your 
note to him, and tried to prevail upon him to keep it; 
he was very insistent, however, and I finally reached 
the conclusion that, inasmuch as he had read it aloud 
to us and we knew that he was aware of its con- 
tents, there was nothing to be gained by refusing to 
accept the note, and accordingly took it back. 

" Even after Baron von der Lancken's very positive 
and definite statement that there was no hope, and that, 
under the circumstances, * even the Emperor himself 
could not intervene,' we continued to appeal to every 
sentiment to secure delay, and the Spanish Minister 
even led Baron von der Lancken aside in order to say 
very forcibly a number of things which he would have 
felt hesitancy in saying in the presence of the younger 
officers and of Mr. de Leval, a Belgian subject. 

*' His Excellency talked very earnestly with Baron 
von der Lancken for about a quarter of an hour. Dur- 
ing this time Mr. de Leval and I presented to the 
younger officers every argument we could think. I 
reminded them of our untiring efiforts on behalf of 
German subjects at the outbreak of the war and dur- 
ing the siege of Antwerp. I pointed out that while 
our services had been rendered gladly and without any 
thought of future favors, they should certainly entitle 
you to some consideration for the only request of this 
sort you had made since the beginning of the war. 
Unfortunately our efforts were unavailing. We per- 



FIRST MARTYR 33 

severed until it was only too clear that there was no 
hope of securing any consideration for the case." 

From another authority we have a description of 
what took place in the court room at the conclusion 
of the trial. It is from Dr. Hostelet who, as already 
explained, was a fellow-prisoner with Miss Cavell at 
the bar of German Military justice. Dr. Hostelet 
gives a vivid pen picture of that dramatic moment 
when sentence was pronounced against Miss Cavell and 
the others : 

" The military prosecutor came in. With his 
high coloring, waxed mustache, elegant and brisk, 
he looked as cheerful as ever. He entered the re- 
served part of the hall, followed by the interpreter, 
the lieutenant, the prison commandant and the Ger- 
man chaplain. He took a large sheet of paper from 
the portfolio carried by his faithful attendant. 
Every one was silent, and instinctively we drew to- 
gether. The prosecutor read the verdict in German 
as if he were reading a list of honors. Five times 
the sinister * Todesstrafe ' (death penalty) was 
heard. For Baucq, Miss Cavell, Severin, Mille. 
Thuliez and Comtesse de Belleville. I got off with 
five years. 

*' The interpreter signed to us to leave the room. 
I saw Miss Cavell leaning against the wall, cold 
and impassive. I went to her and said a few words 
of hope. ' Mademoiselle, make an appeal for 
mercy.' * It is useless,' she answered placidly, * I 
am English and they want my life.' At that mo- 
ment the sub-commandant of the prison came for 
her. With care and deference he led her out of 
the room; he seemed to have some grave and pain- 
ful communication to make to her." 



34 THE WORLD'S GEEATEST SPIES 

The night before her execution Miss Cavell wrote a 
number of letters, and it is significant that the thought 
of those she was leaving behind her was deeper than 
any consideration for her last hours on earth. One 
of these letters was directed to a young girl friend 
who was afflicted with an appetite for drugs. Here 
is the remarkable communication, written on the very 
eve of Miss Cavell's tragic death : 

" My dear girl : How shall I write this last day? 
Standing where I stand now, the world looks al- 
ready far away. I worried about you a great deal 
at first but I know God will do for you abundantly 
above all that I can ask or think, and He loves you 
so much better than I. I do earnestly beseech you 
to try to live as I would have had you live. Nothing 
matters when one comes to this last hour but a clear 
conscience before God, and life looks so wasted and 
full of wrong-doing, with things left undone. 

" You have helped me often, my dear, and in 
ways you little dreamed of, and I remember our 
happy holidays with mother, and many small pleas- 
ures. I want you to go to England at once now 
and ask ... to put you where you can be cured. 
Don't mind how hard it is. Do it for my sake and 
then try and find something useful to do, something 
to make you forget yourself while making others 
happy. 

" n God permits, I shall still watch over you and 
love you and wait for you on the other side. Be 
sure to get ready for this. I want you to know 
that I was neither afraid or unhappy, but quite 
ready to give my life for England. 

" I am sending you my wrist watch by Mr. Gahan 
because it was always with me, and I know you 



FIRST MARTYR 35 

will like to wear it. I will pray God for you at the 
last that He will keep you in His tender care. For- 
give me if I have been severe some times ; it has been 
a great grief to remember it. I think I was too 
anxious about you this last year and that was why. 
I am sure you will forget it and only remember 
that I loved you and love you still. 

*' Edith Cavell." 

Can any one read this communication without a 
thrill of admiration for the Englishwoman who not 
only met death courageously, but who thought of the 
welfare of others during her last moments on earth? 
We have no account of the execution beyond the fact 
that the heroic nurse was shot early the next morn- 
ing. Monsieur de Leval makes a brief reference to 
it. He says: ''This morning Mr. Gahan, the Eng- 
lish clergyman, called to see me and told me that 
he had seen Miss Cavell in her cell yesterday night 
at ten o'clock; that he had given her the Holy Com- 
munion, and had found her admirably strong and 
calm. I asked Mr. Gahan whether she had made any 
remarks about anything concerning the legal side of 
her case, and whether the confession which she made 
before the trial in Court was, in his opinion, perfectly 
free and sincere. Mr. Gahan says that she told him 
she perfectly well knew what she had done, that ac- 
cording to the law, of course, she was guilty and had 
admitted her guilt, but that she was happy to die 
for her country." 

Miss Cavell wrote another letter on the eve of 
her execution, and it was addressed to her nurses 
in the institution at Brussels. A framed copy of 



36 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

it in both French and EngHsh is to be found in the 
living-room of the Nurses* Home in New York city. 
It deserves to be preserved for posterity. The com- 
plete text of this eloquent and moving communication 
is as follows : 

" Prison of St. Giles, Brussels. 
" My Dear Nurses : 

" I am writing to you in this sad hour to bid you 
farewell. You will remember that Sept. 17 brought 
to an end the eight years of my direction of the 
school. I was so happy to be called to help in 
the organization of the work that our committee 
had just founded. On Oct. i, 1907, there were but 
a few pupils. Now you are already quite numer- 
ous — fifty or sixty, I think. 

" I have told you on different occasions the story 
of those early days and the difficulties that we en- 
countered, even to the choice of words for your 
* hours on duty ' and * off duty.' In Belgium all 
was new in the profession. Little by little one serv- 
ice after another was established, graduate nurses 
for private nursing, pupil nurses, the hospital of St. 
Giles. We supplied the institute of Dr. Depage, the 
sanatorium of Buysinghen, the clinic of Dr. Mayer. 
And now many are called upon — as you may be, 
perhaps, later — to nurse the brave wounded of the 
war. If this last year our work has decreased, it is 
due to the sad days through which we are passing. 
In happier days our work will renew its growth and 
its power for good. 

" I speak to you of the past because it is wise 
occasionally to stop and look behind over the road 
that we have traveled and to note our errors and 
our progress. In your beautiful building you will 
have more patients and all that is needed for their 



FIRST M/ 

comfort and yours. To my 
able to speak to you individi 
much to occupy my time — 
forget our evening talks. I 
to duty would bring you tr 
the thought you had done y 
cheerfully before God and 
would be your greatest suppc 
ments of life and in the face « 

** Two or three of you will 
talks we had. Do not forget 
ready traveled so far through lix 
see more clearly than you and sho\' 
path. 

'* One word more — beware o 
speech. In these eight years I have 
unhappiness which could have been a 
few words had not been whispered here . 
perhaps without evil intention, but which ru. 
reputation, the happiness, the life even, of ^ 
one. My nurses should all reflect on that, a 
should cultivate among themselves loyalty and espri 
de corps. 

*' If any one of you has a grievance against me 
I pray you to forgive me. I may sometimes have 
been too severe, but I was never willingly unjust, 
and I have loved you all, far more than you realize. 

" My good wishes for the happiness of all my 
young girls, both those who have graduated and 
those who are still in the school, and I thank you for 
the courteous consideration you have always shown 
me. 

" Your devoted Directress, 

*' Edith Cavell." 

The death of Miss Cavell caused a wave of righteous 



3'S GREATEST SPIES 

over the civilized world. At 

^nded to ignore this sentiment 

y doing great damage to their 

iched a point where Dr. Alfred 

German Under Secretary for 

moved to make a formal de- 

n. Speaking to the staff corre- 

ew York Times in Brussels, he 

that Miss Cavell had to be exe- 

. necessary. She was judged justly. 

.1 not be necessary to have any more 

jm the English and American press that 
Ag of an Englishwoman and the condemna- 
several other women in Brussels for treason 
caused a sensation, and capital against us is being 
.ade out of the fact. It is undoubtedly a terrible 
thing that a woman has been executed; but consider 
what would happen to a State, particularly in war, 
if it left crimes aimed at the safety of its armies to 
go unpunished because committed by women. No 
criminal act code in the world — least of all the laws 
of war — makes such a distinction; and the feminine 
sex has but one preference, according to legal usages, 
namely, that women in a delicate condition may not 
be executed. Otherwise, men and women are equal 
before the law, and only the degree of guilt makes 
a difference in the sentence of the crime and its con- 
sequences. 

" I have before me the court's verdict in the Cavell 



FIRST MARTYR 39 

case, and can assure you that it was gone into with 
the utmost thoroughness, and was investigated and 
cleared up to the smallest details. The result was so 
convincing and the circumstances were so clear, that 
no war court in the world could have given any other 
verdict, for it was not concerned with a single emo- 
tional deed of one person, but a well-thought-out plot, 
with many far-reaching ramifications, which for nine 
months succeeded in doing valuable service to our 
enemies to the great detriment of our armies. Count- 
less Belgian, French, and English soldiers are again 
fighting in the ranks of the Allies who owe their 
escape to the activities of the band now found guilty, 
whose head was the Cavell woman. Only the ut- 
most sternness could do away with such activities un- 
der the very nose of our authorities, and a Govern- 
ment which in such case does not resort to the stern- 
est measures sins against its most elementary duties 
towards the safety of its own army. 

*' All those convicted were apparently aware of the 
nature of their acts. The court particularly weighed 
this point with care, letting off several of the accused 
because they were in doubt as to whether they knew 
that their actions were punishable. Those condemned 
knew what they were doing, for numerous public 
proclamations had pointed out the fact that aiding 
enemies' armies was punishable with death. 

" I know that the acts of the condemned were not 
base ; that they acted from patriotism ; but in war one 
must be prepared to seal one's patriotism with blood 
whether one faces the enemy in battle or otherwise in 



40 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the interest of one's cause does deeds which justly 
bring after them the death penahy. Among our Rus- 
sian prisoners are several young girls who fought 
against us in soldiers' uniforms. Had one of these 
girls fallen no one would have accused us of barbar- 
ity against women. Why now, when another woman 
has met the death to which she knowingly exposed 
herself, as did her comrades in battle? 

" There are moments in the life of nations where 
consideration for the existence of the individual is 
a crime against all. Such a moment was here. It was 
necessary once for all to put an end to the activity of 
our enemies, regardless of their motives; therefore 
the death penalty was executed so as to frighten 
off all those who, counting on preferential treatment 
for their sex, take part in undertakings punishable by 
death. Were special consideration shown to women 
we should open the door wide to such activities on 
the part of women, who are often more clever in 
such matters than the cleverest male spy. The man 
who is in a position of responsibility must do that, but, 
unconcerned about the world's judgment, he must 
often follow the difficult path of duty. 

" If, despite these considerations, it is now being 
discussed whether mercy shall be shown the rest of 
those convicted, and the life which they have for- 
feited under recognized law is given back to them, you 
can deduce from that how earnestly we are striving 
to bring our feelings of humanity in accord with the 
commandments of stern duty. If the others are 
pardoned it will be at the expense of the security of 



FIRST MARTYK 41 

our armies, for it is to be feared that new attempts 
will be made to harm us when it is believed that of- 
fenders will go unpunished or suffer only a mild pen- 
alty. Only pity for the guilty can lead to such pardons ; 
they will not be an admission that the suspended sen- 
tence was too stern. 

** The weakness of our enemies' arguments is proved 
by the fact that they do not attempt to combat the 
justice of the sentence but try to influence public 
opinion against us by false reports of the execution. 
The official report before me shows that it was car- 
ried out according to the prescribed forms, and that 
death resulted instantly from the first volley, as cer- 
tified by the physician present." 

The official defense of the execution of Miss Cavell 
thus made leaves out several important features of 
the case. The complaint of the United States Gov- 
ernment was not that Miss Cavell was a woman, but 
that those in charge of the trial refused to give the 
United States Minister to Belgium an opportunity to 
make a plea in her behalf. Even the ordinary courtesy 
accorded to the vilest criminal of being permitted, be- 
fore dying, to have a clergyman of his or her own 
selection, was denied her until a few hours before 
her death. 

Mr. James M. Beck, an eminent member of the 
Bar, and an authority upon international law, in de- 
nouncing the attitude of the German Government in 
this case, says : " Apart from the brutality of the 
whole incident there is one circumstance that makes it 
of peculiar interest to the American people and which 



42 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

gives to it the character of rank ingratitude. Our 
representative did advise the German officials that a 
little delay was asked by our Legation as a slight re- 
turn for the innumerable acts of kindness which our 
Legation had done for German soldiers and interned 
prisoners in the earlier days of the war before the 
German invasion had swept over the land. The charge 
of ingratitude may rest soundly upon far greater and 
broader grounds. . . . 

" Under these circumstances it would be incredible, 
if the facts were not beyond dispute, that the re- 
quest of the United States for a little delay was not 
only brutally refused, but that our Legation was de- 
liberately misled and deceived until the death sentence 
had been inflicted." 

After the war, the body of Miss Cavell was dis- 
interred, and brought to England amid impressive cere- 
monies. The remains reached London on May 15, 
19 1 9, and there was a public funeral in Westminster 
Abbey, conducted by the Bishop of London and par- 
ticipated in by an enormous concourse of people. 
King George was represented by the Earl of Athlone, 
brother of Queen Mary, and among other distinguished 
persons present were the Dowager Queen Alexandra, 
Princess Victoria, Secretary of State and Mrs. Lan- 
sing and the American Ambassador and Mrs. Davis. 
When the procession left the Abbey it passed through 
streets massed with people who stood with reverent 
attention while the coffin of plain oak was placed on 
the train for Norwich, the home of the martyred 
nurse. On its arrival at that place it was conveyed 



FIEST MARTYR 43 

to the Norwich Cathedral on a gun carriage. After 
brief services conducted by the Bishop the interment 
took place in the local cemetery. The benediction 
was pronounced, the bugle sounded, and then the 
earth was thrown upon the coffin which contained the 
simple inscription: 

EDITH CAVELL 
BORN DECEMBER 4, 1865 
DIED OCTOBER 12, 1915 



Ill 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS H — THE 
GREATEST MYSTERY OF THE WAR 



Ill 

THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II — THE 
GREATEST MYSTERY OF THE WAR 

IT would be difficult to name any event of the war 
of more dramatic interest than the deposition of 
the Czar of Russia, and the overthrow of the 
greatest autocracy in the world. While these lines 
are being written, that country is still in an almost 
hopeless state of chaos, and time alone will tell the 
place it is to occupy in civilization. After centuries 
of despotism the whole false fabric has gone down 
into hopeless ruin. For the moment the last state of 
Russia seems worse than its first, but eventually it 
must work out its salvation on the lines of sanity and 
justice. The peasants, coming out of the darkness 
of absolutism, are dazed by the light of liberty. Rev- 
olutions inevitably bring the least desirable elements 
to the surface. Scoundrels and beggars on horse- 
back will have their day. Law and order must come 
in the long run, and when it does come the experi- 
ment of a free Russia will be watched by the world 
with much interest. 

The purpose of this volume is not to deal with the 
history of the war, but rather with the unusual per- 
sonalities who played their part in the grim struggle. 
Few possess such interest as the unfortunate Czar of 

47 



48 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

Russia. His overthrow was followed by a disappear- 
ance which constitutes, perhaps, one of the greatest 
mysteries of the great war. To some it is no longer 
a mystery, but to others who demand absolute proof, 
it is likely to remain one of the unsolved puzzles of 
the ages. The present article pretends to do no more 
than give the facts so far as they are known. The 
unbiased reader will form his or her own conclusion, 
but whatever that may be all will agree that the story 
of Nicholas II contains more drama, more thrills 
and more human interest than are to -be found within 
the pages of the most popular works of fiction. 

I 

Nikolai Alexandrovich, better known as the Em- 
peror Nicholas II, w^as bom on May i8, 1868, and was 
trained and fated to become the ruler of the great 
Russian Empire. His education was all based upon 
the assumption that he was to eventually ascend the 
throne of his forefathers. To that end he was taught 
several languages, and was made especially conversant 
with Russian history. If he had had a quicker, more 
observant mind, that, in itself, should have filled him 
with forebodings, because the history of Russia is a 
succession of intrigue, of bad faith and of political 
assassinations. We are told that as the future head 
of the " mighty armed strength of Russia," Nicholas 
studied the art of war, and served in each of the three 
branches of the national defense. To further broaden 
himself for his big job he traveled extensively, and 
special "stress was laid on his journey through Asia to 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS H 49 

Japan and the return by way of Siberia. On that oc- 
casion the future Emperor halted at Vladivostok and 
laid the first stone of the Trans-Siberian Railway. 
Furthermore, he was permitted to take part in the 
meetings of the Council of Empire, and was chairman 
of the Far Eastern Committee. He succeeded to the 
throne on November 2, 1894, immediately after the 
death of his father. 

It might be said at the outset that the new ruler of 
Russia was a man of good intentions. He was really 
kind-hearted, but without the strength of character 
needed for such a trying position. An autocrat must 
be strong and merciless, or else he is not likely to be 
a successful autocrat. He had inherited a long suc- 
cession of wrongs, and he was scarcely the man to 
right them. His troubles began on the very day of 
his inauguration. The faulty arrangements for his 
coronation resulted in a panic during which two thou- 
sand persons were killed or injured. It was but an- 
other instance of the graft and inefficiency which 
cursed Russia for years. As an evidence of the great 
kindness of heart of the young Czar, we are reminded 
that he gave a large sum of money for the relief of 
the victims and that their families were remembered. 

Russia had had thirteen years of peace, and, curi- 
ously enough, the thought of the governing powers of 
that country was that it had been gaining, strength and 
wealth only for the purpose of crushing those who 
might try to block its growing power. As one writer 
puts it, Russia " was crouching, but had not yet 
sprung." The war with Japan came, but even that 



50 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

humiliating defeat does not seem to have taught a 
lesson to the Czar and the array of conscienceless 
Grand Dukes who strutted about and oppressed the 
people and lived on graft. 

In the meantime the poor Czar tried his best to be 
a wise and generous ruler. He gave himself faith- 
fully to the performance of the small duties of his 
position. He read papers and telegrams, he worked 
ten and eleven hours a day, and it is told with pride 
that he kept a diary of the happenings of each day. 
And while he was immersed in small things, those upon 
whom he depended were engaged in oppressing the 
people and feeding the dissatisfaction. It was boasted 
that he never rested during the daytime, and that he 
personally wrote all of his directions to his subordi- 
nates in his own handwriting. For instance, what 
could be more childlike than the following claim to 
the good will of his subjects? 

" Expensive writing materials and luxurious condi- 
tions for work make no appeal to him. He carries 
on in this respect the wise economy of his father, and 
uses the same material for work as the majority of 
his subjects, and is sparing even of those. For in- 
stance, he uses his pencils till they are all but finished, 
and only then does he hand over stumps to his little 
son to play with." 

And all of this while millions of money were being 
wasted by those in whom he trusted. Yet it is cer- 
tain that Nicholas was doing the best he could. He 
undoubtedly wanted to do right. He constantly re- 
peated: "I li'ke to hear the truth." But is it con- 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 51 

ceivable that he did hear the truth? If history is to 
be believed, we must conclude that it was one of the 
things he rarely heard. But he continued doing his 
routine work day by day, laying corner stones, taking 
part in the elaborate ceremonies of the court, and 
always hoping that he would leave behind him a better 
Russia than he had found when he ascended the 
throne. From time to time he made notes on various 
subjects that were brought to his attention, and they 
prove that he had a really sincere desire to do the 
right thing. Here are a few of these notes : 

" I am firmly persuaded of the necessity of a com- 
plete reform of our law statutes to the end that real 
justice should at last reign in Russia, so, with the 
help of God, let these things begin." 

" Serious attention should be paid to Eastern Si- 
beria in general, and the province of Okhotsk in par- 
ticular, and the work should be put in hand at once." 

" The Ministry of national education should con- 
cern itself particularly with a special preparation of 
school mistresses, taking measures at the same time 
to protect them from the hard moral and material 
conditions which place defenseless female workers in 
such a helpless position.'* 

These recommendations indicate that the Czar had 
a real desire to improve the condition of his sub- 
jects. There is no doubt about his good intentions. 
His relations with those around him were always 
marked by great kindness and affability. His kindness 
and consideration also marked the attitude of the Im- 
perial family towards their servants. They showed 



52 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the same interest in their private affairs and an anxiety 
to overlook the difference of position and treated them 
with a consideration due to them as men and women. 
These facts should be kept in mind in forming an 
estimate of the personal character of the Czar. 

It was his ambition to be known as the ** little 
father " of his people. He was interested in measures 
that would improve the condition of the agricultural 
peasant, and on various occasions he expressed him- 
self formally in these words : 

" It is my chief pre-occupation to discover the needs 
of the peasants w^ho are so dear to me." 

" I am specially concerned with the welfare of the 
peasant." 

" I am earnestly considering the condition of the 
peasantry, and the question of giving them the land 
they need." 

" Of all the bills introduced by me into the Duma, 
I consider the one which deals with the reform of the 
land tenure of the peasantry to be the most im- 
portant." 

" I will not forget the peasant ; your needs are near 
to my heart, and I shall always keep them in mind." 

The personal participation of the Czar in the con- 
duct of affairs is also shown in his attitude towards 
the law makers of Russia. On one occasion, in an- 
swer to the expressions of loyalty of the Senate, he 
said : " I thank you sincerely, gentlemen, for the 
sentiment that you have expressed. I greatly appre- 
ciate your unselfish work which so completely fulfills 
the object of your institution. The Senate's two cen- 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 53 

turies of good work for the good of the State have 
proved the necessity of its place in the organization 
of the Russian State. During the past two hundred 
years the Senate has undergone many changes, but 
they have never shaken its foundations so firmly laid 
by the strong hand of Peter the Great. Remember- 
ing, on this memorable day, the glorious past of the 
Senate, I am glad to recall that in the days of revolt 
and disorder the Senate remained a firm bulwark of 
law and order. In the future, follow the example 
of the past Senators, who kept fixed in their minds 
the words of their founder ; and honestly, not idly, but 
with zeal fulfill your duties and may God help you 
in your further work for the good of our dear country 
and the glory of the Russian Empire." 

There are numerous instances of the Czar's good- 
ness of heart to those who served him; for instance, 
after the Central Asian Railway was built, much 
difficulty was caused by the shifting sands which 
threatened to interfere with the trains. It was not un- 
til 1895, when M. Paletski, of the Foreign Depart- 
ment, entered the service of the railway as Supervisor 
of Plantations, that the problem was solved. By great 
study and hard work, Paletski found a means to 
prevent the sand from shifting by sowing plants in it at 
a small outlay. In this way the area covered by 
artificial plantations along the Central Asian Railway 
covers more than ten thousand acres. The Emperor 
was delighted with this work, and knowing that 
Paletski could not be rewarded by a mere grant of 
money, he promoted him, in spite of regulations to 



54 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the contrary, to the rank of actual Counsellor of 
State. 

Again, in 1912, Dr. Deminski and a female student 
of medicine died of the plague contracted while at- 
tending patients in one of the villages. The Emperor, 
on hearing of the heroic end of these modest workers, 
gave orders that the Minister of the Interior should 
furnish him with all of the details of the sacrifice that 
had been made by these two Russians. Then he or- 
dered that the widow of Dr. Deminski should be given 
a pension equal to her husband's full salary, and that 
her children should be educated at the expense of the 
State. At the same time, the parents of the student 
who had died, were given an annual sum equivalent 
to the salary their daughter would have received had 
she passed through college and received her degree of 
doctor. These incidents, small in themselves, indi- 
cate that Nicholas II was anything but a tyrant in 
dealing with his subjects. 

When the war began the Czar found himself con- 
fronted by the most critical events in his life. There 
is every reason to believe that he did the best in his 
power for his country and the Allies. There is one 
incident which is told by Count Gaston de Merindal, 
a French writer, who was in Petrograd at the time. 
He says that he stood in front of the Winter Palace 
and a mass of people was kneeling as though in mute 
adoration in front of a man who had just made his 
appearance on one of the balconies. This man was 
the Czar. He said : " I swear I will not put my 
sword into its scabbard until they, who have at- 




NICHOLAS II 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 55 

tacked us, shall have been vanquished. People of 
Russia, pray for victory." 

A great shout came in response. This cry was a 
menace, an oath, a prayer. It ended in a song, and 
the song was *' God preserve the Czar." 

In telling this, the Frenchman tried to make it clear 
that the peasants really cared for the Czar, and that 
after his downfall there was remorse and shame in 
the eyes of many of them when one mentioned the 
name of Nicholas II. 

There is no need in this place to enter into the story 
of Russia's part in the great war. It is enough to 
say that rumors were heard from time to time that 
that country was anxious to make a separate peace 
with Germany, and that those high in power were not 
in sympathy with the cause of the Allies. On March 
15, 19 1 7, came the astounding story of the success- 
ful revolution in Russia, and the report that the 
Emperor Nicholas had abdicated. The Grand Duke 
Michael Alexandrovich, the younger brother of the 
Czar, became Regent, but in a short time he, too, was 
swept out of power. The scenes in the Russian capi- 
tal were thrilling in the extreme. The killing of Count 
Freederiks, Minister of the Imperial Court, and aide- 
de-camp to the Emperor, was one of the incidents of 
the revolution. His house w^as burned, his aged wife 
carried out fainting, and his daughter ill-treated by 
the drunken mob. There were arrests and murders, 
and the Duma joined hands with the revolutionists; 
regiment after regiment revolted, and in less than 
|;wenty-four hours the whole fabric of Russian autoc- 



Dij THE WOELD\S GEEATEST SPIES 

racy crumbled to dust. Evidently the whole popula- 
tion was against the Government. The early period 
of the uprising seemed more like a mock revolution. 
and although much fighting took place, the casualties 
were not large, and finally, with the abdication of 
the Grand Duke Michael, the RomanofT dynasty came 
to an inglorious end. 

The Czar was not in Petrograd when the revolu- 
tion began, but a telegram was sent to him by the 
Czarina, telling him that an uprising had broken out 
in Petrograd, and to come home at once. Even then 
he did not realize the full meaning of the news. He 
was told that a crowd of students, hoodlums and 
young soldiers had terrorized the Duma, but that a 
few detachments of troops would be able to put them 
down. One of his stafY told him that seven hun- 
dred of the St. George cavalry were on their way 
to present a cross to the Emperor, and had arrived 
at a nearby station. He was informed that it would 
be sufificient for him to appear in the midst of these 
heroes and go to the Duma, but one general in the 
party could restrain himself no longer. It was Gen- 
eral Zabel. He said : *' There are sixty thousand 
troops with ofificers backing the temporary Govern- 
ment. Your Majesty has been declared dethroned. 
It is impossible to go further." 

The Czar was completely taken aback at this an- 
nouncement. When he was able to speak, he ex- 
claimed: "Why was I not told before? Why tell 
me now when all is finished?" After a moment he 
added with a gesture of helpk^ssness : " Let it be 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS 11 57 

so. Thank God! I will abdicate if that is what the 
people want. I will go to Levidia to my gardens. 
I am so fond of flowers." 

But he was not destined to go to his flowers. Two 
or three hours after making these statements he signed 
his abdication. His chief concern from that moment 
was of the Czarina. He turned to those around him 
and said : " What has Alexandra to do with poli- 
tics? I refuse to believe that she is unpopular among 
the people." 

By this time the Czar had been formally taken into 
custody. Four members of the Duma looked after 
that formality. The deposed Emperor was taken im- 
mediately to the Alexandrovsky Palace where the 
former Empress had already been interned. Nicholas 
was met at the door by Count Benckendorff, who was 
First Marshal of the Court, and who was now, him- 
self, under arrest. 

To add to the distress of the occasion, all of his 
five children were in bed with the measles, for which 
reason the Empress had not been outside of the palace 
walls for two days. She was given a certain amount 
of liberty, although forbidden to use the telephone and 
telegraph, or have any communication with the out- 
side world. 

The Czar held himself erect and seemed calm and 
indifferent while he was with his captors, but once 
within the privacy of his room, he broke down and 
wept. 

Speaking to those of his own party, he said that he 
had undertaken more enlightened projects than any 



58 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

Czar since the time of Peter the Great. In 1898 he 
appealed to the world to establish international peace, 
and this at a time when Russia had the largest stand- 
ing army. This led to the Hague conference. He 
also pointed to the fact that he had established the 
Duma in August, 1905, and he concluded by exclaim- 
ing bitterly : " Why do my people persecute me when 
I have tried so hard to help them? " 

The two things that he had feared most — revolu- 
tion and assassination — were now partly accom- 
plished. He had meant well, but that was not sufifi- 
cient for a Czar of Russia. He has been compared 
to Louis XVI. Both were amiable and well-mean- 
ing, but both were weak and dominated by politicians 
who looked solely after their own interests, and in 
the case of Nicholas II, came the loss of his crown and 
the overthrow of an already tottering throne. 



II 

The Czar's own record of his downfall is one of 
the curiosities of the great war. As already men- 
tioned in the earlier part of this narrative, it was 
his practice to keep a daily account of his life. Part 
of this fell into the hands of the Revolutionists, and 
a portion of his diary, relating to his last days, was 
prepared by a Bolshevist commission, and printed 
in the Izvestia, a Petrograd newspaper. It is repub- 
lished here, not only for its own inherent interest, but 
because it gives a vivid picture of the events of those 
thrilling days: 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 59 

March ii, 191 7. Disturbances have been oc- 
curring for several days at Petrograd. Troops have 
unfortunately taken part in them. It is an uncom- 
fortable feeling to be so far away and to receive 
only brief, unfavorable reports. 

March 13. Went to bed at 3.15, because I had 
a long talk with Ivanoff, whom I sent to Petrograd 
with troops to restore order. Slept till 10. 
Traveled all day, and arrived at Lichoslav at 9 
o'clock. 

March 14. Returned from the station at Visher 
because Liuban and Tossno are occupied by the in- 
surgents. Went to Pskoff, where I spent the night. 
Saw Russky. He, Daniloff, and Savitsh dined with 
me. Gatschina and Luga are occupied by the in- 
surgents. It is a shame and a disgrace. It was 
impossible to proceed to Tsarskoe Selo. All my 
thoughts and feelings are all the time there. How 
hard it must be for poor Alex to go through all this 
alone. May the Lord God help us ! 

March 15. In the morning Russky read me a 
long conversation he had by telephone with 
Rodzianko. His opinion was that the situation at 
Petrograd was such as to render powerless any 
Ministry representing the Duma, owing to the op- 
position of the Social Democrats. My abdication 
is necessary. Russky communicated this conversa- 
tion to headquarters, and Alexeieff to the army com- 
manders. Their replies arrived at 1.30 in the after- 
noon. The main contents were that the decision to 
take this step was necessary to save Russia and ap- 
pease the army at the front. I agreed. A draft 
manifesto was sent to me from headquarters. 

In the evening Gutchkoff and Shulgun arrived 
from Petrograd, with whom I had a conversation 
and to whom I handed a rewritten manifesto which I 



GO THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

had signed. Left Pskoff at one o'clock in the 
night, my experiences weighing heavily on me. 
All around are treachery, cowardice, and decep- 
tion. 

March i6. Slept long and w^ell. Only awakened 
far from Dvinsk. A sunny and frosty day. Dis- 
cussed with my people yesterday's events. I read 
much in Julius Caesar. At 8.20 I arrived at Mogi- 
leff, where the whole staff awaited me at the station. 
At 9.30 I went to my house. Alexeieff came with 
the latest news from Rodzianko. So Mischa [the 
Grand Duke Michael] has resigned! His mani- 
festo closes with a wag of the tail for the Constitu- 
ent Assembly, which is to be elected in three months. 
God knows what moved him to put his signature to 
such nonsense. In Petersburg the unrest has ceased. 
If only it had lasted longer! 

March 22. Began to fast, but the fast did not 
begin with joy. After midday mass Kerensky was 
here. He begged that we might restrict our meet- 
ings to meal times, and sit apart from the children. 
This was to a certain degree necessary for him in 
order to pacify the famous Soldiers' and Laborers' 
Council. To avoid any violence one must adapt 
one's self. 

March 30. Slept well. At 10 o'clock the good 
Alex [one of the Grand Dukes] arrived. Hereupon 
a conference. At 12 o'clock I went to the station 
to receive dear mamma, who had come from Kieff. 
I took her with me, and we breakfasted together. 
She stayed and talked for a long time. I received 
at last two telegrams from Alice [the Czaritsa]. 
Went for a walk. Horrible weather, cold and snow- 
storm. Received after tea Alexeieff and Freederiks. 
Dined in the evening with mamma, and sat with her 
until 1 1 o'clock. 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 61 

March 31. The day is clear and frosty. At 10 
o'clock to midday mass. Mamma came later. She 
breakfasted, and remained with me until 4 o'clock. 
At tea received General Ivanoff, who came back 
from the requisitioning. He had been to Tsarskoe 
Selo, and had seen Alice. What has become of 
poor Counts Freederiks and Wojesloff, whose pres- 
ence excites everybody? They have gone to 
iM-eederik's property near Pensa. In the evening 
with mamma. 

April 3. Last day in Mogileff. At a quarter to 
1 1 read a farewell command to the army. Went to 
the house of the officer of the day, where I took 
leave of the staff and authorities. At home farewell 
to the officers and Cossacks of the Guard and the 
Free Regiment. My heart was breaking. At 12 
o'clock with mamma, in her carriage, where we 
breakfasted. Remained with her and her suite until 
half-past 4. Took leave of her, Sondro, Sergei, 
Boris, and Alek. Poor Nilow was not allowed to 
come to me. At a quarter to 5 left Mogileff. It 
was touching, the crowd of people who accompanied 
me. Four members of the Petersburg Soviet in my 
train. Am heavy, woeful, and full of longing. 

April 4. Arrived quickly and safely at 11.30 at 
Tsarskoe Selo. God, what a difference! On the 
streets, around the castle, and even in the park 
sentinels. Before the entrance some ensigns. 
Went upstairs and saw Alice, my soul, and the poor 
children. She faced things bravely and healthily. 
All were in a dark room, on account of the measles ; 
but they felt well, except Marie, who was only then 
beginning with the measles. Breakfasted and also 
dined at midday in the playroom of Alexis [the 
Czarewitch]. Saw good Benckendorff. Went with 
him for a walk, and worked with him in the gardens, 



62 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

as I was not allowed to go further. After tea 
brought my affairs into order. 

April 5. Outside the conditions under which we 
live here, the thought that we are together rejoices 
and consoles me. Received in the morning Benck- 
endorff, looked through papers, regulated and 
burned many. Sat with the children until 2.30. 
Went for a walk with Dolgorouki, accompanied by 
ensigns. To-day they were more pleasant. 

April 6. Received Benckendorff in the morning. 
Learned from him that we shall remain here for a 
rather long time. It is pleasant to know this. 
Again burned letters and papers. Anastasia has the 
earache — the same as the others. Went in the 
afternoon with Dolgorouki for a walk, and worked 
in the garden. At a quarter to 7 went to night mass. 
Afterward went to Anna [a lady of the Court and 
a favorite of the Czaritsa] and Lilly. Thereupon 
to rest. 

April 12. At 10 o'clock we went to mass, at 
which many took communion. Walked for a short 
time with Tatiana. To-day the burial of the " vic- 
tims of the revolution " took place in our park oppo- 
site the center of the Alexander Palace. Sounds of 
funeral music and the " Marseillaise " were to be 
noted. At 6 o'clock we went to a religious service. 

April 18. In the morning a short walk. Regu- 
lated affairs and books. Began to lay on one side 
everything which I will take with me when it comes 
to the journey to England. Work in the garden. 

April 21. Passed quietly the twenty-third anni- 
versary of our betrothal. In the morning walked 
for a long time with Alexis. 

May II. Abroad to-day is the first of May. 
Our asses have therefore decided to celebrate this 
day by processions through the streets with music 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 63 

and red flags. Apparently they came into our park 
and laid wreaths. Walked for an hour and a half 
and in the evening began to read aloud to the chil- 
dren '* A Millionaire Girl." (This book title ap- 
pears in English.) 

May 14. In the morning went for a walk. At 
twelve o'clock a geography lesson with Alexis. 
During the day again worked in our vegetable gar- 
den. In the evening learned that Korniloff has re- 
tired from the post of upper commander of the 
Petersburg military district, and also of the resigna- 
tion of Gutchkoff. Always on the same grounds — 
irresponsible interference with the orders of the 
military authorities by the Labor Deputies' Council 
and by some organization or other standing much 
further to the left. 

June 16. After morning tea Kerensky suddenly 
appeared in auto from town. He did not remain 
long with me. He requested that some documents 
which had relation to internal policy should be sent 
over for the inquiry committee. 

July 2. Before midday came good news about 
the beginning of the offensive on the southwestern 
front. In the direction of Sloczow, after two days' 
artillery preparation, our troops broke through the 
enemy's positions, taking 170 officers and 10,000 
men prisoner, and capturing cannon and machine 
guns. I thank Thee, O Lord! God has sent us 
this in a good hour. I feel myself quite different 
after this joyful message. 

July 9. Our good commander, Colonel Komblin- 
ski, requested me not to shake hands with the officers 
in the presence of strangers, and not to call out any 
words of greeting to the guards. This I have done 
sometimes, but they, however, do not respond. 
Studied geography with Alexis. Then we felled a 



G4 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

gigantic tree in the gardens behind the orangery. 
The guards even wanted to help in this work. Read 
to the end " The Count of Monte Cristo." 

July 1 8. In Petersburg to-day there were riots 
and fighting. A number of soldiers and sailors ar- 
rived from Kronstadt to oppose the Provisional 
Government. Complete confusion. Where are the 
people who could take this movement in their hands 
and could end the struggle (without) shedding 
blood? The root of the evil is in Petersburg itself, 
not in the whole of Russia. 

July 19. Happily the tremendous majority of the 
troops in Petersburg remain faithful to their duty 
and order has been restored in the streets. Worked 
the whole of the day in the woods, felled four trees 
and sawed them up. In the evening began to read 
" Tartarin of Tarascon." 

July 21. Worked in the park. To-day, like yes- 
terday, the guards of the ist and 4th Regiments of 
Guards were correct in service, and did not patrol 
during our walk in the garden. Changes have taken 
place in the Government. Prince Lvoff has gone; 
Kerensky becomes Minister-President and at the 
same time Minister of War and Marine, also has the 
leadership of the Trade Ministry. This man is de- 
cidedly in the right place at the present moment. 
The greater power he has, the better it will be. 

July 22. Three months we have passed here 
since I left Mogileff and came here, and we are pris- 
oners. It is hard to be without news of dear 
mamma. All the rest is indifferent to me. 

July 24. In the morning walked with Alexei. 
On my return learned of the arrival of Kerensky. 
In our conversation he mentioned our probable de- 
parture for the south on account of the proximity 
of Tsarkoe Selo to the disturbed capital. Olga's 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 65 

mamc day, therefore went to church. Worked well 
in the garden. Read the third part of the trilogy 
of Mereschkowfki's *' Peter " (trilogy: Julian the 
Apostle, Leonardo da Vinci, and Peter). Well 
written, but leaves a heavy impression behind. 

July 2^. Since the last few days bad news from 
the southwest front. After our defensive at 
Halisch many divisions which were completely 
soaked with the humiliating defeatist teaching did 
not carry out the command to attack, but withdrew 
without any pressure from the enemy at some posi- 
tions. The Germans and Austrians have made use 
of this, for them, favorable state of affairs and car- 
ried out with great force a break-through in South- 
em Galicia, which may force the whole of the Ga- 
lician front to retreat east. Simply weakness and 
doubt. To-day at least the Provisional Government 
has declared that in the theater of war capital pun- 
ishment shall be restored for treachery. If only 
this measure has not come too late ! Worked again, 
felled three trees, sawed up two. Began quietly to 
pack books and things. 



Ill 

We know that Nicholas II was eventually taken to 
Ekaterinburg, and we have knowledge of the house in 
that city where he was last imprisoned. Was he exe- 
cuted while there? How was he executed? What 
became of the Czarina and her children? These were 
questions which agitated the whole world for a long 
time. One of the men who tried to answer these 
queries was Mr. Carl W. Ackerman, a journalist and 
author whose writings on th? gre^t \Yav have ma^e 



66 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

him an accepted authority. Mr. Ackerman undertook 
a long and tedious journey through Russia and Si- 
beria in order to learn the facts in the much-debated 
case. Through his kindness, and that of the Nezv 
York Times, I am enabled to reproduce his report. 
Writing to his newspaper, Mr. Ackerman says : 

" During both the revolution and the counter-revo- 
lution of Russia the Czar and his family were taken 
from pillar to post by the various revolutionary Gov- 
ernments, sometimes for the purpose of ' safety,' and 
again as a part of punishment for the imperial regime, 
which the people as a whole believed was responsible 
for their suffering and discontent. 

'' In the spring of 1918, Nicholas, his wife, the 
former Czarevitch and the four daughters, together 
v^ith two physicians, one maid and a valet, were in the 
hands of the Bolsheviki in Tobolsk, a Russian city 
three hundred miles from the nearest railroad station. 
They had been taken there, upon orders from Petro- 
grad and Moscow, in droshkies because the Bolsheviki 
believed, as the Czar did before, that the strongest po- 
litical prisons were those far removed from the rail- 
road. 

" During the latter part of April the former im- 
perial family was removed to Ekaterinburg, which was 
one of the biggest cities in the Ural Mountains, on the 
direct line of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, so that they 
could be quickly shifted from city to city by the Bol- 
shevist Government in case the Czechoslovak echelons, 
which were moving throughout Central Russia, should 
turn against the Moscow Soyiet, About the 25th of 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 67 

that month one Ural District Soviet of Workmen, 
Cossacks, Soldiers and Sailors' Union, sent a commit- 
tee of soldiers to the home of Professor Ipatieff, to 
demand that he give up his residence immediately. 
They did not state their reasons, but ordered him out. 

" Professor Ipatieff's home is one of the most beau- 
tiful in Ekaterinburg. It was built on a hill in one 
of the main thoroughfares of the city, not far from 
the palace of the ' Platinum King ' of the world. Mr. 
Ipatieff, an engineer, was one of the leading citizens, 
ranking with the great engineers and industrial leaders 
who were responsible for the production of wealth in 
that community and in Russia, following the discovery 
of the rich platinum and gold mines in the Urals. His 
house was of cement and brick construction, painted 
white, and two stories high. 

" This house, which was destined to be the last 
known prison for the Romanoffs, is within a stone's 
throw of both the British and French Consulates. In 
front there is a wide, open square, in the center of 
which stands one of the numerous cathedrals of the 
city. To the left, as neighbors, the Czar had some 
of the poorest citizens. They lived in uninviting log 
or frame huts. To the right, across the side street, 
was a large two-story red brick residence, surrounded 
by a brick wall. From the upper windows of this 
house one could see into the small garden in the rear 
of the Ipatieff residence, even after the Bolsheviki built 
a twenty-foot board fence around Ipatieff's house. It 
was in this garden that the imperial family was per- 
mitted its only recreation and fresh air during the 



68 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

eighty days the members were imprisoned there. 

" Ekaterinburg does not resemble any American 
city I know because the streets are at least twice as 
wide as any of our broadest thoroughfares. The 
buildings differ in architecture from ours and none of 
them is more than two or three stones high. Often, 
in riding about the city, one finds beautiful modern 
buildings and residences next door to frame huts. 
Timber is plentiful, because the city is in the center of 
a vast forest, and, until the Urals gave up their cen- 
tury-old wealth of precious metals and fine stones, such 
as emeralds, rubies, alexandrites, topaz, etc., all of 
the buildings were of frame construction. But as the 
mines were developed the city prospered and magnifi- 
cent residences were built. Before the revolution 
ninety per cent, of the platinum of the world came 
from this city, and at least ninety per cent, of the 
women of the world who wear platinum jewelry owe 
their beautiful ornaments to the Ekaterinburg mines. 
Even the platinum jewels which the Czarina herself 
possessed were mined originally in the Urals. The 
alexandrites, one of the rarest stones, which is a green- 
ish blue by day and a ruby red by night light, was dis- 
covered here and named after one of the Czar's rela- 
tives. 

" Following the Bolsheviki orders, Professor Ipa- 
tieff moved without delay. He was an intellectual, an 
aristocrat, and * user of the tooth brush,' to borrow 
Paderewski's description of those who were persecuted 
by the Bolsheviki. He realized that the quicker he left 
the safer he was. Within a few days the Czar, the 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 69 

Czarina, and their daughter, Mary, arrived, accompa- 
nied by the physician who attended the Empress, who 
suffered from heart trouble and rheumatism. The 
Czarevitch and the other daughters were delayed be- 
cause of the illness of the Czarina, but within a week 
the family was united inside the white house and board 
fence, which was guarded by some twenty Bolshevist 
soldiers, said to have been recruited especially from 
the mines and factories, because Ekaterinburg w^as also 
a large industrial city. A group of the largest fac- 
tories employed more than twenty-five thousand work- 
men and women. 

" The former royal family entered the house, under 
heavy guard, of course, by none too kindly soldiers of 
the Red Army, through the main entrance, on the pub- 
lic square, which led directly into the rooms on the 
second floor. Professor Ipatieff had been living in 
these rooms, while on the first floor lived his servants, 
who used the entrance on the side street. 

" The testimony of all witnesses is the same as to 
the main events which followed the crossing of this 
threshold by the former rulers of Russia until the 
night of the fifteenth and sixteenth of July. It is only 
the evidence which follows the events of those dates 
which is confusing. 

*' Entering the house, the Czar and his wife were 
* escorted,' if not ordered, through the reception hall 
and past one of the private rooms, already filled with 
soldiers, to the large drawing-room which Professor 
Ipatieff used when receiving guests. All of the fur- 
niture and carpets remained as he had left it. Hang- 



70 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

ing from the ceiling was a big crystal electric chande- 
lier imported from France, and on the walls hung 
valuable oil paintings. The furniture was modern, 
expensive and comfortable, of carved oak. To the 
left, as the Czar entered, he saw another room the 
other side of an arch. This room was assigned to him 
as a study. The Czarina's wheel chair, which had been 
brought from Tobolsk, was placed near the wide plate 
glass windows looking out upon the inside of the board 
fence through heavy iron bars which had been fas- 
tened in the walls outside of all the windows. Di- 
rectly in front of the former imperial leaders as they 
stood at the entrance of the reception room were two 
large oak doors leading into the dining-room. To 
their left were the kitchen, pantry, bathroom (one of 
the very few private bathrooms in the city) and an- 
other room which was later used by the Czarina's maid. 
" The Bolshevist Commissars of Ekaterinburg led 
the royal couple through the dining-rooms into two 
smaller rooms facing the side street. One of these 
rooms was assigned to the Czar, his wife, and the 
Czarevitch as a bedroom. The other was designated 
as the bedroom of the four daughters, although no 
beds or cots were provided. Alone for a few brief 
moments in these two rooms the Czarina walked to the 
window, drew aside the heavy portieres, and looked 
with a fainting heart through iron bars upon the 
rough interior of the board fence which obstructed 
entirely what was once a beautiful view of the cathe- 
dral and square and the * Platinum King's ' palace not 
more than two hundred feet away. But these the Em- 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 71 

press could not see. Above the fence were visible only 
the vast, free, pale blue heavens. Turning to the Czar 
and asking for a pencil she again drew the curtains 
aside and wrote on the frame of the window, ' April 
30, 1918,' the day of her arrival, the first day of their 
eighty days of suffering and anguish in Ekaterinburg, 
prisoners of their former subjects. 

" During my recent sojourn in that city, I had an 
opportunity on several occasions of going through the 
house which had been used by General Gaida ever since 
the Czechoslovaks forced the Bolsheviki to evacuate 
the city. The Czar's bedroom is now the private office 
of this twenty-eight-year-old Czech General. The 
bars still cover one of the windows and the Czarina's 
handwriting is still to be seen on the window frame. 

" I have several sources of information as to what 
transpired in this house between the 30th of April and 
the 15th of July, 191 8, but I doubt whether even the 
details which these witnesses give fully describe the 
terrible torture which the Romanoffs were forced to 
endure. The names of some of the witnesses I can 
give, others are confidential, but their statements, un- 
abridged and uncensored, are the greatest possible in- 
dictments of so-called * revolutionary-red justice.' 

"Although the Czar, his wife and son were pro- 
vided with beds and were supposed to have the private 
use of the room, it frequently happened that the Czar- 
ina's physician was forced to sleep in the same room. 
In the adjoining room the four daughters slept on the 
floor, with scarcely any bedding. At times the Czar 
was forbidden to see his wife and they were seldom 



72 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

permitted to talk except in the presence of a soldier. 
Although the family ate in the spacious dining-room 
of the Ipatieff home, food was prepared and served by 
the Red Army and was very meager. For the family 
only five knives, forks, spoons and plates were pro- 
vided, and on more than one occasion the rude soldiers 
would help themselves by hand from the erstwhile im- 
perial table. When any member of the family bathed 
it was forbidden to close the bathroom door, and in 
the frame of the door both at the top and sides are 
literally hundred of bayonet marks showing that on 
many occasions soldiers stood on guard at the door 
with drawn bayonets. In fact, so many bayonet jabs 
are still visible in the walls and ceilings of some of the 
rooms that it seems certain beyond a doubt that the 
guard in the house always had bayonets attached to 
their loaded rifles. 

"After examining the walls of the house I con- 
cluded that the soldiers must have tried bayonet prac- 
tice from time to time in the various rooms, but 
whether this was done when members of the Czar's 
family were there one cannot say. Whenever any 
member of the family walked in the garden soldiers 
stood on the balcony, leading from the dining-room 
and looking out over the garden. Professor Ipatieff, 
who was in Ekaterinburg, living nearby throughout 
the Czar's imprisonment, stated that the soldiers often 
aimed their rifles at the Czar while he was walking. 
With their finger on the trigger of their rifles and eyes 
on the sight-points they would follow his movements. 

" The Czar was not permitted to receive any news- 



THE FATE OP NICHOLAS II 73 

papers, and many of the letters which he wrote and 
which were sent to him were never deHvered. Nich- 
olas himself wrote scores of letters to his friends, but 
they were usually simple statements about the health 
of the family. The day before his trial for partici- 
pation in an alleged counterplot against the Bolsheviki 
he was permitted to write letters to his relatives and 
friends, but as far as known none of these was sent 
by the Ural District Soviet. 

** That the Czar, however, was in communication 
with the outside world through various secret channels 
is quite certain. One of the nuns in the monastery of 
Ekaterinburg, for instance, informed me that one day 
she received word from Odessa saying that the Czare- 
vitch was ill, and asking her, in behalf of * friends of 
the Czar,' to take milk, eggs, and butter to the Czar^s 
house. By this name the Ipatieff residence became 
known as soon as the Czar arrived, and to-day any one 
in Ekaterinburg can tell you where the ' Czar's house ' 
is. All of the drosky drivers know, as the taxi drivers 
in Paris know the location of Napoleon's tomb. 

" This nun — a simple, kindly faced, quiet, and pa- 
tient old woman — related to me one afternoon her 
experiences in delivering fresh eggs and milk. She 
would not tell me how she received word from Odessa, 
nor why any one in Odessa should know quicker than 
the people of Ekaterinburg that the Czarevitch was 
ill — that he was so ill that he often spat blood. 

" At the beginning of July, however, when she began 
to take food to the Czarevitch, the Bolshevist Com- 
missar permitted her to take butter, eggs, and milk to 



74 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the Czarina personally. Often, she said, she would 
take a bottle of cream, sugar, and sweets to the house, 
but it was not long until the Bolsheviki either became 
suspicious or were revengeful. One day they seized 
everything she had for their own use, telling her to 
get out and never return. The following morning she 
appeared as usual and was permitted to send in the 
eggs and milk. 

'* On several occasions during these visits she had 
very brief ' audiences ' with the members of the family. 
Naturally she would not tell me whether she carried 
news to the Romanoffs, but from other sources I 
learned that it was through this monastery that some 
of the Czar's friends in Crimea were able to ' keep in 
touch ' with the Czar. 

" It is known, also, that the former Emperor on a 
few occasions received letters and news through a 
member of the Soviet guard, who, despite his position, 
was still loyal to the ' Little White Father.' Another 
route by which news traveled to and from the Czar 
was through signals from the attic of the brick house 
across the street from the Ipatieff residence, which I 
have described. A private telephone in this house was 
connected with the office of a certain prominent busi- 
ness man. The man in the attic and this merchant 
communicated with each other day and night, and I 
remember learning from one of them some of the se- 
cret phrases they used in talking, so that if any one 
should by chance overhear them the Bolsheviki could 
not understand. When the observer under the roof 
of the house across the street saw the Czar in the gar- 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 75 

den he would phone, ' The baggage is at the station/ 
and then messages would be communicated to the Czar. 

'* Throughout the time the Czar and his family were 
imprisoned here efforts were being made to release 
him. On more than one occasion the Czar received a 
message stating that he would soon be freed. General 
Denikine, who is now commanding the Cossacks near 
Kiev, an old and intimate friend of Nicholas, was en- 
deavoring in every possible way to save his former 
imperial master. General Dutoff, another friend of 
the Czar, operating in the Urals, was seeking to deliver 
his friend. The Czecho-slovaks, despite their revolu- 
tionary tendencies, were bent upon snatching the Czar 
from the Bolsheviki. There were independent Rus- 
sian and foreign business interests in Ekaterinburg 
which wanted him released. More money was spent 
trying to free Nicholas Romanoff than the Bolsheviki 
ever used in guarding and transporting him or main- 
taining an organization to prevent his escape. 

" Thus, in advance of the Cz'ar's trial before the 
secret night session of the Ural District Soviet, there 
was being waged in Russia and Siberia a bitter and 
ceaseless contest between the friends and enemies of 
the Czar. Ekaterinburg was the center of the intrigue 
and the Czar himself was playing no unimportant 
part. 

" After the trial, where the Czar was condemned to 
death, the Moscow wireless station sent out an official 
communication addressed, as are all messages from 
wireless towers under control of the Soviet, ' To all, 
to all, to all,' announcing that the Czar had been exe- 



76 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

cuted in Ekaterinburg, but that the family had been 
removed from the city to a place of safety. 

"But was Nicholas II killed? If so, how and 
where? This is where the real mystery of the Czar 
begins. From this date until to-day the world has 
speculated. Evidence of all kinds has been published 
to prove his death and to announce that he is still alive. 

** It has been said that * votes should be weighed and 
not counted.' So is it with regard to facts. Weigh- 
ing the evidence regarding the Czar himself I should 
say that six-tenths of the weight indicates that he is 
dead ; four-tenths that he may be alive. 

" The Czar was tried, condemned to death and taken 
from the courtroom back to the Ipatieff residence. 
Some witnesses maintain that he was executed imme- 
diately in the basement or the first floor of this house. 
Other citizens declare that he was taken outside the 
city and shot. Some think he was murdered in the 
house without trial. 

" To show how the testimony differs I shall refer to 
the published statements of Prince Lvoff. He de- 
clared in Vladivostok and Japan that he and the Czar 
were kept in the same prison and had the same jailers. 
That cannot be true, as far as Ekaterinburg is con- 
cerned, because I could not find a person in Ekaterin- 
burg who had heard that Prince Lvoff was in the Ipa- 
tieff residence as a prisoner. He was confined for four 
months in the prison of Ekaterinburg, but the Czar 
was never there. Prince Lvoff and many others de- 
clare the Czar and his whole family were killed in the 
Ipatieff house and they point to the bullet holes in the 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 77 

walls of the room. The nun from the monastery who 
took eggs and milk to the Czarevitch told me that she 
is positive none of them was executed in this house, 
and that the Czarina, the Czarevitch, and the daugh- 
ters were taken away in a motor truck which she saw 
standing in the grounds of the Ipatieff residence on 
July 15. She believes the Czar is dead, but that the 
family is still alive. On the other hand, one of the 
priests from the same monastery, who held short serv- 
ices upon a few occasions in the house for the impe- 
rial family, assured me that ' the whole family is alive 
and well.* 

" While I was in Tuimen, the chief city between 
Omsk and Ekaterinburg, one of the members of the 
Russian nobility, who was an intimate friend of the 
Czarina, received a message from the * interior of Rus- 
sia by courier saying, " Your friends are all wxll." ' 
When I questioned the American, British and French 
Consuls, who were in the city throughout the Bolshe- 
vist occupation, as to their opinions, they stated frankly 
that they did not know whether the Czar was dead 
or alive, and they were still conducting their investiga- 
tions. Professor Ipatieff, who is now living on the 
first floor of his house, surrounded by most of the fur- 
niture which was used by the former imperial fam- 
ily, showed me through the house on two occasions and 
described in detail how the whole family was brought 
from the second floor to the main floor by way of the 
servants' stairs, lined up against the wall and shot. A 
member of the Judicial Investigating Commission be- 
lieves the family was killed in this house, but the only 



78 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

evidence any of them possess is the bullet holes in the 
walls and floors and the finding of certain property of 
the Czar and Czarina in the ashes of one of the stoves. 
I saw the room in which they were supposed to have 
been killed en masse, but I was not convinced by the 
evidence presented there for these reasons : 

'' I. If the whole family was executed' in this room, 
then seven persons were killed. The bullet holes were 
in the walls and some ' blood clots.' There were no 
pools of blood, and it seemed doubtful to me that 
seven persons should die a horrible death and leave only 
small ' blood clots ' in the bullet holes and small blood- 
stains on the floor. 

** 2. If they were executed in this room, then the 
soldiers' rifles could not have been more than five feet 
from the victims, because the room is very small. If 
killed here the bodies must have been removed, be- 
cause they were not found in this room nor in the 
house. By removing seven bodies from such a room, 
in midsummer, when it was very hot and sultry, the 
members of the family surely did not wear very heavy 
clothing, and it seems that bloodstains should have 
been found in other parts of the house, but none was 
found. 

"3. It is stated that the bodies were burned after 
execution in this house. This I believe is impossible, 
because none of the stoves in the house is large enough. 
The house was heated, as are most Russian houses, by 
Russian stoves built in the walls, and the opening to 
each stove is not more than a foot wide or deep. Still, 
in one of these stoves the investigating commission 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 79 

found a military cross which the Czar once wore, cor- 
set staves and a large diamond belonging to the Czar- 
ina. The stove in which these things were found was 
in the bedroom of the Czar's daughters. This stove 
was never used by the Bolshevist guard, and it is plausi- 
ble that the Czar or Czarina burned these things them- 
selves at the last hour so that the Soviet would not 
find them. This might be substantiated by the fact 
that the investigating commission, after having the 
ashes examined, failed to find traces of any human 
bodies. 

" I do not believe the evidence that the whole fam- 
ily was executed here is convincing. I think the Czar 
may have been shot in this room, but, on the other 
hand, there is the testimony of the Czar's personal 
valet, Parfin Dominin, that the Czar was taken away 
from the house early in the morning of July i6 by a 
small Soviet guard. Dominin himself remained in the 
house until the morning of the seventeenth. If any 
one was shot in that house that night; if twenty shots 
were fired on the first floor, the valet would have heard 
them, because he was in the living-room of the Ipatieff 
residence, which was almost directly above the room 
where the bullet-holed wall stands to-day, and no Rus- 
sian house is sound-proof. 

^' After examining carefully all of the evidence pre- 
sented by Professor Ipatieff I made an investigation of 
the testimony that the Czar was taken away and exe- 
cuted. The Bolsheviki claim that this is what hap- 
pened. They maintained he was executed outside the 
city, before a firing squad. But was he? Is it not 



80 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

possible that the Czar was kidnaped after he left the 
house, surrounded by only three Red Army soldiers? 
Considering all of the efforts which were being made 
in and about Ekaterinburg to save the Czar, does it 
seem possible that his friends, who were numerous in 
the city and watchful, should permit three soldiers to 
take him away? Is it not possible that some of the 
disloyal Bolshevist soldiers, who were accepting bribes 
and transmitting secret messages to and from the Czar, 
were among that guard? 

" I asked these questions because they came into 
my mind while I was in Ekaterinburg, and because I 
asked many Ekaterinburg citizens the same. In reply 
I received all varieties of answers and various degrees 
of speculations. The fact is that no one knows, but all 
have their opinions. Professor Ipatieff maintains that 
the questions are without justification. The priest 
thinks that the Czar was * saved.' The nun thinks he 
was killed afterward. The valet states the same. The 
investigation commission is divided. The allied Con- 
suls don't know. And still there is the testimony of a 
prominent Russian merchant of Ekaterinburg that he 
saw the Czar and his family in the private office of the 
railroad depot master on July 20 ! 

" Ekaterinburg is divided. Since the latter part of 
July, for seven months the city and surrounding coun- 
try has been searched, and no remains of the bodies, 
no traces of the family have been found. 

" Some day, when it is possible for investigators to 
go into European Russia and question other witnesses, 
the puzzle may be solved. 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 81 

" Nicholas II, former Czar of all the Russias, and 
his family may be dead. They may still live. Who 
knows?'* 

There is confusion in the multiplicity of accounts 
which purport to tell the story of the last hours of 
Nicholas Romanoff, and it would serve no purpose to 
introduce them in this account. But this is one narra- 
tive which may be taken as representative of those 
which hold that the Czar was executed, although inti- 
mating that his family was spared. It is given by an 
Austrian who was a prisoner of war, and was printed 
in the Vienna Arbeit er-Zeitung and reprinted in the 
Miinchner Post of February 5, 19 19: 

In the course of his story the Austrian asserts that 
the ex-Czar, in addition to his regular body servant, 
was attended by an Austrian prisoner of war who had 
been recommended for the post by the Social Democrat 
organization of the prisoners of war in the Urals and 
who remained close to Nicholas until the day of the 
latter's execution. The implication is that this Aus- 
trian was detailed to see to it that the ex-Czar did not 
succeed in establishing uninterrupted communication 
with the counter-revolutionary forces planning to res- 
cue him. The relator of this latest version of the ex- 
Czar's execution is a Socialist, and presumably ob- 
tained his information from the delegate of the Social 
Democratic organization referred to. 

Contrary to the generally accepted versions of the 
removal of the ex-Czar from Tobolsk in April, 19 18, 



82 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the Austrian asserts that the ex-Czarina and the rest 
of the family were left behind and did not accompany 
Nicholas to Ekaterinburg, where he was confined in 
the house of Pro*fessor Ipatieff. After giving some 
details as to how the ex-ruler was guarded, the Aus- 
trian continues : 

" In the middle of June his family came from 
Tobolsk to Ekaterinburg because the Czarina had ap- 
pealed to the Soviet to be allowed to see her husband. 
Already at that time the military situation was full of 
danger for the town, and for that reason the Czarina 
and the children were taken away from Ekaterinburg 
after a sojourn of eight days. They were taken at 
night in an automobile to a distant railroad station. 
But the Czar remained in the city. 

'' In the first week of July there was no longer any 
doubt that the town could not continue to be held by 
the Soviet troops. As the result of a mistake by the 
army administration the Czechoslovaks had succeeded 
in pushing troops forward over the West Ural Rail- 
road, which now were placed like a ring around the 
city and threatened to cut it off not only from Siberia 
and the whole Ural district, but also from Petrograd 
and Moscow. A regular cutting off of the Ural Re- 
public was being prepared, and the Soviet troops were 
too weak to prevent it. The Soviet wanted to remove 
the ex-Czar from the city at the last moment and put 
him in a safe place, so as to hold a good hostage in 
case of emergency. It was a big risk, however, for 
there was the greatest danger of the friends of the 
Czar obtaining possession of him. For this reason the 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 83 

Social Revolutionaries, the Mensheviki, and the anar- 
chist wing of the Central Soviet demanded that the 
ex-Czar be called before the tribunal at once, as the 
indictment had been pending long enough indeed. 

" On Saturday, July 13, 1918, this question was dis- 
cussed at a meeting of the Soviets, and it was decided 
by a more than two-thirds vote to call the Czar before 
the tribunal, to procure the sentence and to execute it 
at once. On the same day the tribunal assembled and 
unanimously found him guilty of treason to the coun- 
try and the people, and of the criminal murder of Rus- 
sian citizens, as charged in the indictment, and con- 
demned him to be shot to death. At eight o'clock in 
the evening the verdict was announced to him in the 
drawing-room of the villa where he was being held a 
prisoner. The members of the tribunal were all pres- 
ent at this ceremony. He received the news rather 
calmly, and said: * If God so wills it, then may my 
blood at least bring about the happiness of Russia.' 
After a pause, he added: ' I entreat you to spare my 
wife and children this fate, as they are surely inno- 
cent.* 

" The sentence was executed at four o'clock Sunday 
morning in the cellar of the villa, so that the shots 
would not be heard outside. (Other versions say that 
the execution occurred on July 16 or 17.) The corpse 
was carried away in an auto, whither is probably only 
known by the members of the revolutionary tribunal. 

" This is what occurred. I can assure you that all 
the other reports now making the rounds of the press 
are untrue. The alleged diplomat who has given news 



84 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

to the Vienna press has only recounted what has been 
shown to be only a matter of sensational gossip in the 
town long before the Czar was condemned. The gen- 
tleman certainly was not in touch with any member 
of the Soviets, and, furthermore, it was so very diffi- 
cult to find out anything about the condition of the 
precious prisoner that, for reasons easily understood, 
nothing was said about it even in Russian (Socialist) 
party circles. What some papers print about bad 
treatment, and even about the outraging of the Czarina 
and her daughters, belongs to the realm of phantasy." 



On April i, 19 19, it was announced by Mr. Wilfred 
Fleisher, Jr., an American newspaper correspondent, 
that the Czar and all of the members of the family had 
been assassinated. He quoted as his authority Gen- 
eral Dietrichs, who had been delegated by Admiral 
Kolchak, the dictator of Siberia, to assemble the evi- 
dence gathered by the Ural Government. According 
to this authority, Nicholas II and the members of his 
family were murdered on the night of July 16-17 at 
two o'clock in the morning in the Ipatieff house in 
Ekaterinburg. The event, it was averred, followed 
weeks of mental and physical suffering during which 
the Czarina and her daughter were subjected to Bol- 
sheviki indignities. The story had it that their bodies 
were loaded into a conveyance and taken into the coun- 
try, and their bodies stripped of their clothing and the 
remains " probably flung down a mine shaft." The 



THE FATE OP NICHOLAS II 85 

clothing, after being searched for valuables, was 
burned in an effort to cover up all evidence of the 
crime. 

On the same date the former Grand Duke Alexander 
of Russia, in Paris, to an Associated Press representa- 
tive gave expression to his views concerning the prob- 
able fate of Nicholas II. He said, " I have given up 
all hope of ever seeing my nephew, the Emperor. 
When I left Crimea I still entertained some hope he 
might be alive. Now even that hope is dead. 

" There is only one member of the family who per- 
sists in clinging to the hope that he is alive — the 
Dowager Empress. She has made a vow not to leave 
Russia unless the demise of her son is established be- 
yond the shadow of a doubt and I do not dare to shat- 
ter her last allusions." 

The former Grand Duke spoke feelingly, with ap- 
parent effort to repress his emotion, of the execution 
of his two brothers in Petrograd when they were led 
out from Peter and Paul fortress and shot down with- 
out semblance of a trial on January 29, 1919. 

Late in August, 191 9, the full text of the Omsk gov- 
ernment's report, giving details of the alleged murder 
of the Czar and the members of his family, arrived in 
the United States. It was signed by Starynkevitch, 
Minister of Justice of the Kolchak Government at 
Omsk, and was addressed to the Director of Foreign 
Affairs. There is a repetition of many of the things 
already outlined in this narrative, and some new facts. 
For instance it says that on the walls of the room in 
which the Czar was confined in Ekaterinburg was the 



86 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

following inscription, made in German by an almost 
illiterate hand : 

*' This is the night on which the Czar has been shot." 
It is well known that the jewels of the Imperial fam- 
ily were carried away by the Empress, and in order that 
they might not be stolen had been sewn into the hats 
and clothing belonging to the Grand Duchesses and the 
ladies of the Court. That fact gives special interest to 
one phase of the report, which says : 

On July 17 peasants of the village of Koptiaky 
and of the volosty (bailiwick) of Verknie-Isset, 
named Andrew Chemetiewsky and Michael Alferof, 
and others noticed certain camps of troops belong- 
ing to the Red army at a distance of eighteen versts 
(about twelve miles) from the city of Ekaterinburg; 
these camps had been made in the forests not far 
from the village. After the departure of the troops 
the same peasants, returning by the same road which 
the detachment of the Red army had followed, 
reached a place where the Red Guards had made a 
halt, and there discovered, near several caved-in and 
abandoned wells, a small camp where they had 
made a fire. In scraping over the ashes they found 
a cross of emeralds, four corset whalebones, some 
suspender buckles, several slippers, and buttons of 
false pearls. Moreover, they noticed several other 
objects on the top of the wells — a cane, treebark, 
planks, firtree branches, and an iron shovel. 

The examining magistrate, after having looked 
over the approaches to the wells, called the Isset 
Mine, found an old " vanity bag," some rags of fine 
linen, lace, and some debris which was black and 
shining. He also discovered there two tarnished 
fragments of an emerald and of a pearl, a heap of 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 87 

cloth which smelled of oil, a stone mounted on plati- 
num, very much tarnished, sea-green in color, and 
quite large; it was a diamond worth 100,000 rubles, 
($50,000,) according to the estimate of an expert 
who subjected the stone to a most careful examina- 
tion. 

According to the conclusions reached by this ex- 
pert, this stone must have belonged to a necklace, a 
magnificent work of art. On the loam all around 
the wells they found signs of the explosions of star 
shells, and on the walls of the wells there were still 
traces where grenades had been exploded within. 
After having pumped the water from the wells and 
removed the sand which had fallen in, they found a 
finger which had belonged to a human hand, a set of 
false teeth, some pieces of bomb, a man's scarf pin, 
and other objects of little importance. 

M. Pierre Gillard, to whom we showed the dia- 
mond and the other objects, certified that the neck- 
lace of which it had formed a part had been sewn 
into one of the dresses worn by one of the Grand 
Duchesses, either Olga or Titiana Nicholaevna. As 
to a pearl-set earring, that was identified by the same 
witness as similar to those carried by the ex-Em- 
press. Derevenko believed that he recognized in the 
false teeth the set used by Dr. Botkine. 

In comparing the earring found on the edge of the 
well with those shown in a photograph of the ex- 
Empress, which was furnished the investigating com- 
mission, there can be no possible doubt as to its 
origin. The other earring could not be found on 
the place examined. However, we discovered sev- 
eral pieces of pearl, and the expert, after having es- 
tablished their quality by analysis, deducted that they 
belong to another earring identical to the one found. 

Those who are still inclined to be skeptical may ob- 



88 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

tain some encouragement from the concluding part of 
the report. After stating that the objects brought to- 
gether during the investigation have a historic as well 
as a legal value the report adds : 

In spite of all evidence establishing beyond rea- 
sonable doubt the murder of the imperial family, 
there are a number of persons who testified that its 
members had not been shot, but that they had been 
transported from Ekaterinburg to Perm, or to Ver- 
koturief. Hence the investigation was expanded 
along these lines, but has not been able to confirm 
the truth of the rumors of the transfer nor has it 
been able to find a single witness who would certify 
to having personally seen the departure of the im- 
perial family. 

The foregoing constitute all the evidential matter 
gathered by the preliminary inquiry made with a 
view to establish the fact of the crime having been 
committed. 

The present writer makes no attempt to reconcile 
these conflicting statements concerning the fate of the 
unfortunate Czar. The preponderance of evidence 
would indicate that he is dead, but it must be admitted 
that it is circumstantial evidence, and there will always 
be those who will decline to accept that sort of testi- 
mony, but all will agree that Nicholas Romanoff, in 
his birth and troubled life, was a victim of circum- 
stances. Fated for a post of great power and respon- 
sibility, he was incapable of guiding the swift running 
current of events. He might have been, as a writer 
has said in another connection, '' splendidly common- 
place," but his life could scarcely be called " brilliantly 



THE FATE OF NICHOLAS II 89 

unromantic." In spite of his good intentions and his 
shortcomings — in spite of himself, he became one of 
the momentous figures of modern history, and even in 
the end he was to have the distinction of furnishing 
one of the greatest mysteries of the world's greatest 
war. 



IV 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK AND 
THE MYSTERY OF THE CYCLOPS 



IV 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK AND 
THE MYSTERY OF THE CYCLOPS 

THE saddest word in the maritime vocabulary is 
*' missing," and yet it is the only term that can 
be applied to the strange case of Alfred Louis 
Moreau Gottschalk, American Consul-General to Rio 
Janeiro, Brazil, who so mysteriously disappeared with 
the captain, the crew and the United States naval col- 
lier, the Cyclops. 

In the official records reference is made to the vessel 
alone, but it is impossible to tell the story without fea- 
turing the personality of the distinguished consular 
officer, who has been swallowed up in oblivion just as 
effectually as the ship on which he was the most con- 
spicuous civilian. 

On April 15, 1918, it was first officially announced 
that the Cyclops had been overdue at an Atlantic port 
since March 13th of that year. The vessel had on 
board fifteen officers, two hundred and twenty-one 
of a crew, and fifteen passengers. She was last re- 
ported at one of the West Indian Islands on March 4. 
The Cyclops was in charge of Lieutenant-Commander 
G. W. Worley, of the United States Naval Reserve, 
and was bringing a cargo of manganese from Brazil. 

This grayish-white metallic element is largely used 

93 



94 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

in the manufacture of glass and paint, and would have 
been particularly useful to the United States and the 
Allied Nations at that time. It is this fact that caused 
most of the officials of the Government to conclude 
that the Cyclops had been the victim of one of the 
German submarines, those assassins of the sea which 
worked so remorselessly during the great world war. 
That might easily account for the disappearance of 
the great collier. The fact that a distinguished con- 
sular officer of the United States Government was 
aboard the Cyclops might have made the vessel a 
tempting target for the war-maddened Germans. 
They loved a shining mark, and the blood-thirsty sub- 
ordinates who carried out the orders of Von Tirpitz 
were sure of special commendation when the victims 
included men high in the confidence of the United 
States, and those with whom it was associated in the 
conduct of the war. 

Another suggestion was that the Cyclops might have 
been sunk by a bomb placed in its cargo before leaving 
Brazil. In the course of some remarks before a Con- 
gressional Committee concerned with the placing of a 
duty upon manganese, Senator Phelan, of California, 
said he had been told by a naval officer that the port 
of departure of the vessel was filled with Germans 
who had been interned for the period of the war. 
There were other Germans living there also, and it is 
quite likely that some of them were employed in load- 
ing the Cyclops. Everybody knows the fanatical de- 
votion of some Germans to the '' Fatherland," no mat- 
ter under what flag they might be living, and it is con- 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK 95 

ceivable that they might regard it as a patriotic duty 
to conceal explosives amid the cargo of the ship. In 
this instance it would be easy to do so without de- 
tection. 

So easy and so self-complacent were we during cer- 
tain stages of the great world war! 

Another theory was that an internal explosion might 
have wrecked the vessel, and at the same' time have 
destroyed its wireless apparatus and motive power. 
Instances were cited at the time to prove that such a 
thing could have been within the realm of possibility. 

But the difficulty with all three of these theories is 
that no allowance is made for the surface wreckage 
that would have marked the grave of the stricken 
Cyclops. In even the worst of wrecks there have been 
bits of deck and masts found floating in the ocean 
weeks after the event. No such evidence has ever been 
found in the case of the mysterious disappearance of 
the naval collier. 

A list of the crew reveals the fact that there were 
fifty or sixty men with German names, and one of the 
investigators has hazarded the guess that there was a 
midnight meeting during which the commander and 
the officers were overpowered and the ship taken into 
some German port. But this supposition must be re- 
garded as fantastic, because, out of two hundred and 
fifty-one men, some would surely have come forward 
to tell the tale even at this late day. 

Along the same line of thought is the suggestion that 
the ship was captured by U-boats, a prize crew placed 
aboard and the ship conveyed to Germany. The 



96 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

Cyclops visited Kiel a year after she was built, and 
while she was there was greatly admired and envied 
by German experts. Might they not be obsessed with 
the idea of capturing such a valuable prize? Yes, but 
common sense must dismiss this theory as one that 
will not hold water. 

Some of the best authorities among the naval men 
in the United States are content to believe that the 
collier went down in one of those tropical storms 
which are so disastrous to shipping. Yet this is diffi- 
cult to believe in the case of a vessel of nineteen thou- 
sand tons displacement, built especially to weather the 
severest storms. 

Perhaps the most plausible theory of all is that the 
Cyclops was caught in one of those awful West Indian 
typhoons which come so suddenly in the tropical seas. 
Could it be that the vessel was caught in one of those 
overpowering whirlpools and sucked to the bottom of 
the ocean? Who knows? The attempt to explain 
away the unexplainable makes the brain reel, and only 
emphasizes the finite quality of the human mind. 

The loss of the Cyclops will go down into history 
not only as one of the great mysteries of the sea, but it 
also will be noted for the fact that its most distin- 
guished passenger was Alfred Louis Moreau Gott- 
schalk, American Consul-General at Rio Janeiro, Bra- 
zil. Like Lord Kitchener, the circumstances of his 
last end were to be shrouded in impenetrable darkness. 
He did not enjoy the fame of the great British soldier, 
but there are many persons in this country who feel 
that his disappearance, under such strange auspices, 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK 97 

was a real and irreparable loss to the Government of 
the United States. 

In view of this fact it may not be inappropriate, in 
this place, to throw some light upon the personality 
and the service of this official who was not as well 
known as he should have been, but whose work was 
valued at its true worth by those who were charged 
with the consular and diplomatic affairs of this coun- 
try. He came from a noted New Orleans family, and 
was a descendant of one of the most famous of the 
marshals of Napoleon. He was richly endowed with 
musical and artistic talent and had a most agreeable 
personality. He was well known as a traveler and 
explorer, and if he had been spared, would undoubt- 
edly have won greater honors in the world of business 
and politics. 

The manner in which Mr. Gottschalk came to enter 
the consular service of the Government is not only 
interesting in itself, but throws an illuminating side- 
light upon the character of his unusual man. He had 
family connections in New York and Philadelphia, 
and one of his maternal aunts married a Peterson, 
member of the famous publishing firm in the Quaker 
City which printed one of the pioneer magazines of 
America, a publication which gave some of the earliest 
efforts of Edgar Allan Poe to the world. The young 
man had talent and facility of expression, and in the 
natural course of events entered the newspaper pro- 
fession. He became acquainted with Joseph M. 
Rogers, at that time managing editor of the Philadel- 
phia Inquirer, and the friendship thus formed led to 



98 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

his assignment as one of the correspondents to report 
the Spanish-American War for the Inquirer, the New- 
York Herald and the London Telegraph. 

He did his work well, but after the conclusion of 
the war, instead of returning to Philadelphia, decided 
to embark in business in San Domingo. The venture 
was undertaken as much for experience as anything 
else, and in the course of time he returned to the United 
States with more experience than when he had left, 
but with less money. He had engaged in sugar grow- 
ing in both San Domingo and Hayti, but while he 
showed enterprise and industry it was evident that he 
was not cut out for a business man. So, after this 
excursion into agriculture, and a brief term as Col- 
lector of Customs at Monte Cristo, he was once more 
in New York. One of the first things he did was to 
call on his old newspaper friend, Mr. Rogers, with the 
request that he sign his application for a position in 
the United States Consular Service. The editor did 
so very cheerfully, and suggested that, of course, Mr. 
Gottschalk knew Senator Piatt, or had some other 
political support which he intended using to back up 
his application for a post under the Government. 

" No," he smilingly replied, " I do not know Sena- 
tor Piatt, and have no political support of any kind, 
but I expect to be appointed just the same." 

He was appointed, too, and thereby hangs one of 
the most interesting unpublished tales of the American 
State Department. 

Mr. Alfred Gottschalk walked into the office of one 
of the Assistant Secretaries of State and asked if there 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK 99 

were any consulships vacant at that time. That was 
something new in Washington because applications for 
such posts not only required Senatorial endorsements, 
but were usually made with great ceremony. The 
official had to take a second look at the young man, and 
then seeing that he was in deadly earnest, replied, in 
effect : 

" Yes, there are four consulates always vacant. 
Two are in Africa, one is in the far East, and the 
other is in Nicaragua. They are vacant because the 
occupant is in danger of starving to death from the 
inadequate pay, or of perishing from disease in the 
unhealthful climate. One of them has had something 
like fifty consuls in as many years, for the simple rea- 
son that as soon as the appointee gets a view of his 
post he wants to take the next steamer back to the 
United States. Indeed, there have been cases where 
the newly appointed consul has refused to get off the 
ship, after getting a glimpse of the place to which 
he had been appointed." 

After listening to this statement the young man 
calmly announced that he was a candidate for one of 
these places, and after the usual preliminaries he was 
appointed United States Consul to San Juan del Norte, 
Nicaragua. Even after the papers had been made out, 
the kind-hearted officials of the State Department tried 
to discourage him from accepting the place. 

" We are glad to have some one who is willing to go 
down there," said one of them, " but, really, I do not 
believe that you will be satisfied after you get there. 
Why, I do not believe that we have had a report from 



100 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

this consulate for nearly fifty years. It is in the midst 
of swamps, of pestilence and of fever, and the best 
man that ever went there did not have sufficient ambi- 
tion to send us the usual reports that are expected from 
consuls. Really, you are too good a man to waste 
your time in such a place." 

Mr. Gottschalk smiled in his engaging way, and re- 
marked in a quiet but determined voice : 

" I thank you for your consideration, but I am going 
to go. After what you have told me, nothing could 
prevent me from accepting this post.'* 

And so, in 1902, he went as United States Consul to 
San Juan del Norte, in Nicaragua. It was pretty bad, 
even if it did not quite live up to the terrible repu- 
tation which it had in the United States. At all events, 
the friends of Mr. Gottschalk in this country did not 
hear from him for a long time. Some of them were 
filled with misgivings. They feared that he might 
have perished from some of the tropical fevers which 
flourish so well in such swampy climates. However, 
they had great faith in the young man, and they 
watched and waited. 

In the meanwhile an episode occurred in the city of 
Washington, just one year after the departure of Mr. 
Gottschalk, which was to have a great effect upon his 
future. There arose a vacancy in the consulate at 
Callao, in Peru. As consulates go, it was a desirable 
berth. One of the New England Senators wanted it 
for a constituent who was very valuable to him from 
a political standpoint. Under ordinary conditions he 
could have had the place for the asking, but, unfor- 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK 101 

tunately, one of the Western Senators heard of the 
vacancy and demanded it for one of his Heuten- 
ants. 

John Hay, the author of the ** Open Door " policy 
in American diplomacy, and one of the most efficient 
men of his time, was then Secretary of State, under 
President Roosevelt. He was very much annoyed 
over the controversy that was raging about the Peru- 
vian consulship, and heartily wished that it was off his 
mind. He had bigger and more important questions in 
statecraft to solve than this petty dispute over a con- 
sulate, and did not hesitate to so inform the Senatorial 
gladiators. O-ne afternoon the New England Sena- 
tor, who was also a personal friend and a strong sup- 
porter of the President, called and said that he was 
tired o*f waiting and wanted his man named for the 
post in Peru. He intimated that if he did not get 
it, the fur was likely to fly in the immediate future. 
Almost at the same time the Western Senator called 
and insisted upon having the post as his right and due. 
The scholarly Secretary of State metaphorically threw 
up his hands: 

" It is utterly impossible for me to appoint two men 
to one position," he said, *' and if you two men cannot 
come to an agreement you are likely to make me 
insane." 

They talked and wrangled for some time after that, 
and finally declared that it was impossible for them 
to come to an agreement. Mr. Hay, they said, would 
have to settle the contest in one way or the other. 

" All right," he said, " I'll put the matter up to the 



102 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

President, and see what he has to say about the dis- 
pute." 

Late in the afternoon, long after the usual closing 
time of the Department, while Secretary Hay was mus- 
ing over the difficulties of American politics, one of 
his assistants entered the room, and laid a neat package 
of manuscript upon his desk. 

" Mr. Secretary," he remarked, " there is a remark- 
able bit of work which I want you to glance over. It 
is so unusual that it is deserving of your personal at- 
tention." 

The Secretary looked at the sheet of paper before 
him, and discovered that it was a report of the history 
of the United States Consulate at San Juan del Norte 
from the time of the Walker expedition before the 
Civil War to the present. It was carefully prepared 
in the almost copper-plate handwriting of Consul Gott- 
schalk, and must have taken many weary months in the 
preparation. It was the very thing that was needed in 
the archives of the State Department, and was the one 
thing that they had despaired of getting. At that 
time the question of a canal was raging, and the young 
Consul, alive to the importance of the occasion, had 
also prepared and mailed a set of maps showing how 
the canal could be built through Nicaragua. Mr. Hay 
studied the report and the maps for a few minutes, and 
then he brought his fist down on his desk with a bang. 

'' I wonder," he said, looking at his assistant 
thoughtfully, " if I have any influence with this ad- 
ministration. I wonder if I have influence enough to 
have a consul appointed." 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK 103 

The other man grinned at the suggestion, and even 
before he had time to reply, the Secretary of State in- 
structed him to have a commission made out appoint- 
ing Alfred Louis Moreau Gottschalk to be United 
States Consul at Callao, in Peru. 

" I'm going to take this over to Colonel Roosevelt," 
said John Hay, grimly tucking the commission under 
his arm, '' and see what he has to say about it." 

He found the President in his office at the White 
House, and in a few words explained the situation 
to him. Also he displayed the report and the maps 
that had been sent him from Nicaragua. The Secre- 
tary of State was a strong advocate of efficiency in 
office. Already he had made great efforts to improve 
the character of the consular service, and in this he 
had the sympathy of President Roosevelt. Now he 
had a concrete case, and he presented it with force 
and eloquence. The man who preached the " square 
deal " was impressed, not only with the facts but with 
the enthusiasm of his Secretary of State. He grinned, 
too, as he thought of what a good joke it would be 
upon his two Senatorial friends who were pressing 
their rival candidates for the place. 

It only took him a few moments to decide. He 
reached for his pen, and signed the commission, and 
thus young Mr. Gottschalk, without his knowledge, and 
without any outside influence, became United States 
Consul at Callao, in Peru. 

He made good there, after a bitter fight with the 
authorities, as he had made good in his other post, 
and not Ipng after was sent to the City of Mexico, 



104 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

On the reorganization of the service two years later, 
he was made Consul-General-at-Large, and was de- 
tailed to inspect the other consulates in Africa, East- 
ern Europe and Western Asia. He was an expert ac- 
countant and was regarded as an invaluable man by 
the State Department. Later he was sent to ascertain 
conditions in many out-of-the-way places. The re- 
ports he sent to Washington were complete and con- 
clusive. He never depended upon hearsay evidence, 
but always made first-hand investigations. In doing 
this he underwent many personal privations. He went 
to sections of the country where a man was often com- 
pelled to take his life in his hands, and he braved dis- 
ease and pestilence in his effort to get at the truth. 
He was specially detailed by President Roosevelt to 
get the facts concerning the Liberian situation, and 
his special reports on that subject which were filed 
in the State Department are regarded as the last word 
upon a controversy that had waged for years. 

When the European war began Mr. Gottschalk was 
sent to assist at the American Consulate in London. 
Only those who were charged with the dii^cult work 
in those trying days know how valuable his services 
were to the United States and to the Allied Govern- 
ments. In November, 1914, he was appointed Consul- 
General at Rio Janeiro, Brazil, where he was instru- 
mental in creating sentiment in favor of the Allied 
cause. At the same time he won the good will of the 
business world here and in Brazil by the industry and 
the efficiency with which he promoted trade between 
the two countries. Had he been spared there is no 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK 105 

doubt but that he could have had anything witl^in the 
gift of the State Department. He worked hard, so 
very hard that the time came when he needed a rest. 
When he sailed for America, in the early part of 1918, 
it was given out that he was coming home for a va- 
cation, but a few of his personal friends were aware 
of the fact that he intended to resign his position with 
the Government in order to enter the army. He had 
served in the famous Fifth Regiment of New York, 
and was certain of getting a commission. 

But, alas, for human plans, he was never to reach the 
land he loved so well, and never again to meet his 
relatives and friends on this side of the ocean. After 
the Cyclops had been overdue for weeks, the Navy 
Department began a systematic search for the missing 
vessel. The sea was literally combed in the effort to 
obtain some trace of the collier. In this search the 
United States Navy was assisted by the navies of Eng- 
land, France and Italy. Never was there such a thor- 
ough investigation into a mystery of the sea. But it 
was all in vain. Not a trace could be found anywhere. 

While this combing of the sea was going on, a story 
was published in one of the American newspapers — 
a most amazing story — which still further deepened 
the mystery of the disappearance of Consul Gottschalk. 
It stated that two weeks after the Cyclops left its port, 
and long before the collier was reported missing, an 
advertisement appeared in a Portuguese newspaper an- 
nouncing that a requiem mass would be celebrated for 
Alfred Louis Moreau Gottschalk, " lost when the 
Cyclops was sunk at sea." It was claimed that the 



106 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

announcement was signed by a number of prominent 
men in Rio Janeiro, but they all disclaimed responsi- 
bility for its appearance. It was suspected at the ti'me 
that it was inserted by German agents as a means of 
transmitting a report of their operations. The writer 
has no means of verifying this strange tale, but it was 
one of the many rumors and wild fancies that filled the 
air at the time, and it is simply repeated as a part of 
the whole astonishing business. 

The mother and the relatives o-f Mr. Gottschalk 
hoped against hope until the very last, but after the 
Secretary of the Navy published his official report in 
which he directed that the Cyclops be stricken from the 
registry of the Navy, they, too, abandoned further 
search and mourned their loved one as dead. As a 
consequence of this, the will of Mr. Gottschalk was 
formally filed in the Surrogate Court in New York. 
An affidavit accompanied the will, recounting the last 
known movements of the Cyclops, and calling atten- 
tion to the fact that the United States Navy had aban- 
doned its search for the vessel. In his will, the Con- 
sul-General left his books and literary productions to 
the National Library at Washington. A valuable col- 
lection of Inca pottery, Aztec idols, Trojan lamps, 
Eastern brasses, and arms and porcelain from South 
America was bequeathed to the Smithsonian Institu- 
tion at Washington. The residue of his small estate 
went to his mother. 

It was in his annual report for 191 8 that Secretary 
of the Navy Daniels finally abandoned the vanished 
collier to the mysteries of the sea. He intimated then 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK 107 

that probably not until the sea gives up its secrets, 
would the fate of the Cyclops be known. That a 
modern ship of over nineteen thousand tons, equipped 
with wireless and all modern devices to afford protec- 
tion against sudden attack or disaster at sea, should 
disappear without a vestige of evidence to tell the 
tale of how it had been lost was truly one of the 
strangest cases in the annals of the sea. The report 
of Secretary Daniels, among other things, said: 

" It was March 4 when the Cyclops put into the 
British West Indies for coal. She was due in her 
home port March 13. 

" ' Since her departure from that port there has 
not been a trace of the vessel, and long-continued 
and vigilant search of the entire region proved ut- 
terly futile, not a vestige of wreckage having been 
discovered. 

" ' No reasonable explanation of her strange dis- 
appearance can be given. It is known that one of 
her two engines was damaged, and that she was 
proceeding at reduced speed, but if the engine had 
become disabled it would not have had any effect on 
her ability to communicate by radio. 

Many theories have been advanced, but none 
that seems to account satisfactorily for the ship's 
complete vanishment. After months of search and 
waiting, the Cyclops was finally given up as lost, 
and her name stricken from the registry.' " 

The strange disappearance of the Cyclops naturally 
directed attention to other ships that had dropped out 
of existence completely. The most remarkable mys- 
tery of the sea probably was that of the Marie Celeste, 



108 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

A clever writer on the New York Sun attempted to 
solve this curious case, or, rather to give a plausible 
explanation of how it had disappeared. It can 
scarcely be compared with the case of the Cyclops. 
because the Marie Celeste was actually discovered with 
two sails set headed towards Gibraltar. There was 
no sign of life aboard the vessel, nor, most unusual of 
all, was there any sign of her having been abandoned. 
Everything was in order; boats were all in place and 
ropes were neatly coiled. The only thing missing, as 
nearly as could be found, was the ship's chronometer. 
However, the captain's watch was found in the cabin. 
There was nothing in the log to tell a story of storm, 
disease, fire or other disaster. 

" Many surmises," says the Sun writer, " have been 
made regarding the mystery, and books have even 
been written suggesting a solution. One of these in- 
sists that the passengers must have all gone in swim- 
ming except the captain. He, it says, must have been 
timing a race with the chronometer, his watch being 
broken, when the vessel gave a lurch, threw him over- 
board and sailed away before any of the swimmers 
could reach her. Another surmise, made seriously by 
its author, is that all hands were standing by the rail 
when a tidal wave spilled them off. This theory has 
generally been laughed at, it being pointed out that 
such a thing would not have been possible without de- 
ranging the equipment on the decks. All this was 
years ago, and it is almost certain that her mystery 
will never be solved." 

But the universal query is, *' Shall the Cyclops be 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK 109 

added, to the list of vessels that have arrived at the 
'port of missing ships'?" The fact that she was 
modern, staunch, well-manned and equipped, makes 
the disappearance of the collier inexplicable. The 
writer in the Sun mentions many instances that point 
to the probability that the misfortune of the Cyclops 
may never be known. 

One such vessel was the Naronic, a large freight ves- 
sel, the first of the twin screw type to be built for the 
cargo trade. The writer, speaking of this and other 
curious mysteries of the sea, says: 

" Just what happened to the Naronic has never been 
discovered. She steamed from Liverpool ; days 
passed, and then cables began to hum as both sides of 
the ocean queried about her delay. Finally, some 
weeks later, a capsized life-boat was found with the 
word Naronic on her stern. That was all. How, 
when, or where she entered the ' port of missing ships ' 
is not known, but it is there she rests. She was 
equipped to resist storms and had been called the big- 
gest, safest, swiftest sea carrier of her time, but the 
sea included her in its toils." 

In recent years few passenger vessels have disap- 
peared. In the days of sails and side- wheelers, how- 
ever, a number of large vessels loaded with passengers 
were swallowed up, perhaps the victims of an un- 
charted rock, a heavy gale, a tidal wave, or a fire. 
One of these was the City of Glasgow. In 1854 she 
sailed from England with four hundred and eighty 
passengers, most of them emigrants bound for Castle 
Garden, Ko trace of her was ever found. Two years 



110 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

later, the Pacific , of the Collins Line, sailed for New 
York from Europe with one hundred and eighty-six 
passengers. For months following her disappearance 
other vessels sought for her in vain. In those days the 
ocean lanes had not been adopted, and there were no 
means of knowing where best to search. 

Other vessels have disappeared, but few left very 
definite impressions of what happened to them. One 
such was the President, which is generally believed to 
have foundered in a gale off the New England coast. 
Another vessel, the Coventry, saw her in the midst of 
the storm, making heavy weather of it. The President 
left New York March ii, 1841. Among her passen- 
gers was Tyrone Powers, the Irish actor. She was in 
command of Captain Roberts. Two months later, a 
bottle was washed up on the shores of Cape Cod, with 
a cryptic message: 

"" President sunk in storm." 

In 1870 the City of Boston, with two hundred pas- 
sengers, left Liverpool, never to return. It was be- 
lieved that she was the victim of a severe storm which 
came up a few days after she left port. Bits of wreck- 
age were seen at sea some months later with her name 
on them. Such an impression also prevailed regard- 
ing the sinking of the Portland, which left Boston 
Harbor for Portland in the fall of 1898. There was 
a severe blizzard set in, and it is generally thought an 
extra heavy sea caught her under the paddle wheel and 
overturned her. 

On August 28, 1883, the Inchcluta left Calcutta for 
Hull with a cargo of wheat. The following day the 



CONSUL-GENERAL GOTTSCHALK 111 

Cheruhini left Sunderland for Genoa with a cargo of 
coal. Neither of these vessels was ever reported 
again. On March 9, 1885, the Magneta was seen pass- 
ing out of the English Channel, bound for Singapore, 
with a load of cable. She also carried nine passengers. 
She was never sighted again. 

Had it not been for the wireless, it is doubtful 
whether the world would ever have known the circum- 
stances of the Titanic sinking. Undoubtedly many- 
other vessels, before the days of wireless and ocean 
lanes, entered the " port of missing ships " through 
the ice. 

The U. S. collier Cyclops was the first of three ves- 
sels of its type to be built for the Government, and 
was launched on May 8, 19 10, from Cramps' shipyard 
in Philadelphia. Mrs. Walter H. Grove, the daugh- 
ter-in-'law of the president of the shipbuilding com- 
pany, christened the vessel which behaved in an un- 
accountable manner on its natal day. Seafaring men 
have their superstitions, and they disHke anything to 
mar the harmony or the smoothness at the launching 
of a vessel. The ways had been carefully and plen- 
tifully greased on that bright day in May when the 
Cyclops was to take its first dip in the water. A great 
crowd was in attendance, but when the blocks were 
knocked from under the collier she stood stock still. 
There was an anxious wait of ten minutes while the 
bow was raised by jacks. After that the Cyclops slid 
down without any difficulty. It was said at the time 
that the hitch was caused by the great weight of the 
collier. 



112 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

But the imaginative seafaring men shook their heads, 
as much as to say that it was a sure indication of 
coming disaster. 

But neither the enthusiastic builders or the officials 
of the United States Government shared any of these 
forebodings. They felt, and with justice, that they 
had produced a vessel that was to mark an advance in 
craft of that character. 

The Cyclops was a twin-screw steamship of the sin- 
gle deck type, with a long poop, bridge and forecastle. 
and constructed with cargo holds of the self-trimming 
style. This was brought about by sloping the hatch- 
ways from the coamings to the sides of the ship, the 
space between the slopes and the deck proper being 
utilized as topside water ballast tanks. The vessel was 
fitted with double bottom extending from forward to 
after peak bulkhead, so that when the ship was light, 
ballast might be carried either in these tanks or in the 
topside ballast tanks, as might be found preferable for 
easy behavior at sea. 

The vessel was rigged with fourteen masts, located 
in pairs opposite each other at the corners of the 
hatches. Masts were connected by athwartship and 
fore and aft truss ties. Shrouds were thus eliminated 
and a clear deck space outside of the masts provided. 

She was the first vessel of this type with such ex- 
tremely large dimensions to be constructed upon the 
Atlantic coast. Coal could be placed in the vesseFs 
coal bunkers or landed aft on deck in a position suit- 
able for handling in coaling ship at sea. 



V 



THE JUDICIAL MURDER OF CAPTAIN 
CHARLES A. FRYATT 



THE JUDICIAL MURDER OF CAPTAIN 
CHARLES A. FRYATT 

CAPTAIN CHARLES ALGERNON FRY- 
ATT, master of the Great Eastern Railway- 
Company's steamship Brussels, was at once a 
hero and a martyr of the Great War, and the story of 
his Hfe and death furnishes one of the most illuminat- 
ing, as it is one of the most thrilling, sidelights on the 
international conflict. 

Captain Fryatt was a typical English sailor — blunt, 
rugged, conscientious and transparently honest. He 
lived at Dovercourt, near Harwich, the port of the 
Great Eastern Railway Company, where he was gen- 
erally known and respected. He had a devoted wife 
and seven children — six girls and one boy. They 
lived in a cozy villa, combining comfort and beauty. 
The tidy appearance of the house, its well-kept patch 
of green, and its general appearance of solidity and 
neatness reflected the well-ordered life of its owner. 
The family life at Dovercourt was ideal, although the 
necessities of his profession kept Captain Fryatt away 
from his inviting home many months in the year. 

With the advent of the war a condition, and not a 
theory, confronted this British sailor. In the early 
part of 1915 — to be exact, on February 18 — the 

115 



116 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

German Government announced its blockade. That 
is to say, it proclaimed the waters around Great Britain 
and Ireland, including all of the English Channel, to 
be a " war region." It declared that every enemy 
merchant vessel found in the region would be de- 
stroyed '' without its always being possible to warn the 
crew or passengers of the dangers threatening." 

In a word, Germany adopted the code of the pirate 
or the highwayman, but with a difference. This dif- 
ference was that the pirate and the highwayman give 
their victims a chance for their lives, while Germany 
denied them that right. Thus, the sailors who fol- 
lowed the forbidden lines of travel took their lives in 
their hands. In spite of this fact, many brave Eng- 
lishmen voluntarily accepted the risk in order to con- 
tinue uninterrupted communication with neutral coun- 
tries. 

Captain Charles A. Fryatt was one of these men. 
He knew very well that by the edict of February, 191 5, 
the German Government " officially repudiated the re- 
sponsibility of civilization, and served notice on all 
merchantmen that they were liable to be sunk by a 
hidden weapon from an unseen ship without warning." 
As has been well said, British vessels of commerce 
were clearly entitled to consider themselves attacked by 
any submarine which they sighted. That was the view 
taken by Captain Fryatt, and thereby hangs this plain, 
unvarnished tale. 

Now, with these preliminary facts before us, let us 
see just what happened. 

On March 2, 191 5, Captain Fryatt was on a voyage 



JUDICIAL MUEDEE 117 

from Parkeston Quay to Rotterdam. The lookout 
caught sight of a strange ship in the distance. He 
called the attention of the captain to this queer-looking 
object, and Fryatt immediately recognized an under- 
sea vessel with two masts. It was evident that it was 
one of the German assassins of the sea. The subma- 
rine, beyond the question of a doubt, looked upon the 
British vessel as legitimate prey. The best proof of 
this was furnished by the fact that it aimed directly 
for Captain Fryatt's ship. He realized that he would 
have to do one of two things: make a dash for life 
and liberty, or stop and give battle with the enemy. 
He either had to do that or permit the ship to be sunk 
without warning and without resistance. It did not 
take him long to decide. 

" All men on deck ! " he shouted, and in less time 
than it takes to relate the incident, the men were 
streaming up the companion way and taking their ap- 
pointed places on the ship. The captain explained the 
situation to the crew, and let them understand that it 
was to be a race for life. He did not propose to sur- 
render if he could help it. In other words, he hoped 
to escape by the exercise of superior seamanship. 
The men heartily entered into the spirit of the contest. 
They agreed to show the enemy a clean pair of sea 
heels. 

In the distance the submarine could be seen in full 
pursuit. The commander of the undersea vessel must 
have been mad with anger. It was something new 
for a merchant vessel to attempt to run away. For a 
time it looked like an even race. At one point the 



118 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

submarine seemed to be gaining. It was then that 
Captain Fryatt went down into the engine room and 
urged his firemen and coalers to renewed effort. The 
grimy- faced stokers responded with a cheer and 
greater activity. Up again to the deck hurried the 
captain and took his post near the steering wheel. 
The sea was rough and the waters dashed over the 
deck. Once a sailor was hurled from his place and 
nearly swept overboard. But a brave comrade res- 
cued him from a watery grave and the race for life 
continued. 

By this time Captain Fryatt's ship was making six- 
teen knots an hour and* was creaking and straining 
from the effort. But there was no let-up. They were 
still in the danger zone, and to hesitate meant that they 
would be lost. Mile after mile they went along the 
difficult course, and with every succeeding moment the 
earnestness and the enthusiasm of the crew increased. 
Engineers, firemen and sailors all vied with one an- 
other, not only in trying to escape a dreadful fate, but 
also in serving a captain they loved. Presently they 
reached the safety of Dutch waters, and with one ac- 
cord they surrounded their gallant commander and 
joined in a shout of relief. 

" Three cheers for Captain Fryatt ! " yelled out a 
sailor, who hailed from Portsmouth, and all united in 
that exultant yell. 

The news of this exploit reached England, and 
when Captain Fryatt returned to his home he was the 
hero of the hour. A hero, mind you, not because he 
had destroyed life and property, but because he had 



JUDICIAL MURDER 119 

saved the lives of his crew and his cargo. He was 
presented with a gold watch by the Chairman and Di- 
rectors of the Great Eastern Railway Company. He 
bore his honors modestly and insisted that the credit 
really belonged to his men. But they were delighted 
that he had received recognition for his gallantry, and 
were united in declaring that in honoring the captain 
they, too, were being honored. 

We now come to another important incident of the 
war which has an intimate bearing upon the case o«f 
Captain Fryatt. On March 28, 191 5, a German sub- 
marine sank the Falaba. This vessel stopped when 
commanded to do so by the German commander. But 
in spite of this fact, the devilish assassins did not give 
the passengers time to be put into the boats. The 
great liner was torpedoed while non-combatants were 
still on board. These were the men who had the ef- 
frontery to criticize Captain Fryatt for not stopping 
when he was hailed by a submarine. He knew what 
would happen under such circumstances. But listen 
to the testimony of one of the survivors of the 
Falaba: 

" The commander of the submarine ordered our 
Captain to get every passenger into the boats at once, 
saying in good English : ' I am going to sink your 
ship.' Then followed a terrible scene. Some of the 
boats were swamped and their occupants thrown into 
the sea, several being drowned almost immediately. 
Barely ten minutes after we received the order to leave 
the ship, and before the last boat had been lowered, I 
heard a report and saw our vessel keel over. The 



120 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

pirates had actually fired a torpedo at her at a range 
of one hundred yards, when they could distinctly see 
a large number of passengers and crew on deck. It 
was a dastardly thing to do — nothing but murder in 
cold blood! " 

It was a dastardly thing to do, because on that morn- 
ing in March one hundred and four men and women 
lost their lives. 

Now we are coming to a dramatic moment in the 
life of Captain Fryatt. On that same peaceful Sunday 
morning, when the German murderers sank the Falaba, 
the British commander met the U-33 in the North 
Sea. The Brussels was on its usual voyage from 
Parkeston to Rotterdam. Captain Fryatt was the 
first to sight the submarine. He could see that she 
was at least three hundred feet long, with a high bow, 
a very large circular conning tower, and without dis- 
tinguishing marks on her starboard bow. He quickly 
realized that it would be impossible for him to escape. 
The submarine was coming toward the Brussels at a 
terrific rate of speed. If he turned and tried to run 
away he would be torpedoed. 

What was he to do under the circumstances? 
Should he allow himself to be sunk without resistance ? 
The thought was intolerable. He did what every red- 
blooded man would do under the same set of condi- 
tions. He made a fight for his life and that of his 
crew^ What followed is told in these plain but elo- 
quent words : 

" The submarine signaled him to stop, but his Brit- 
ish courage revolted at the thought of surrender, and 




Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 

CAPTAIN CHARLES A. FRYATT 



JUDICIAL MURDER 121 

the experience of German methods of warfare warned 
that surrender would be no guarantee that the lives 
of his crew would be spared. He determined, there- 
fore, to take the best chance of saving his ship and 
to steer for the submarine in order to force her to dive, 
and if she were not quick enough in diving, to ram 
her. This was his undoubted right under international 
law — to disregard her summons and resist her attack 
to the best of his power. It was a test of skill and 
courage in which each side took their chance. 

" Captain Fryatt, therefore, stood by his helm and 
gave orders to his engineers to make all possible speed. 
He sent all the crew to a place of safety in case the 
submarine should fire upon him, and steered straight 
for the conning tower. The submarine, when she saw 
that the Brussels would not surrender, but w^as bent 
upon exercising her undoubted right of resistance, im- 
mediately submerged. The Brussels saw her disap- 
pear about twenty yards ahead and steered for the 
place where she had been. Almost immediately her 
periscope came up abreast of the Brussels, two feet out 
of the water. Captain Fryatt did not feel his ship 
strike the submarine, but one of his firemen felt a 
bumping sensation. The submarine reappeared with 
a decided list and afterwards vanished from view. 
Captain Fryatt held his course at top speed until he 
was safely within the territorial rights of Holland." 

As a result of this encounter, the British Admiralty 
presented Captain Fryatt with a gold watch suitably 
inscribed in recognition of his services. On the in- 
side case was this inscription : 



122 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

" Presented by the Lord Commissioners of the 
Admiralty to Charles Algernon Fryatt, master of 
the steamship Brussels, in recognition of the ex- 
ample set by that vessel when attacked by a Ger- 
man submarine, 28th March, 19 15." 

King George, in a letter addressed to Mrs. Fryatt 
from Buckingham Palace, expressed what will be 
the feelings of the whole world, when he said : 

** The action of Captain Fryatt in defending his 
ship against the attack of an enemy submarine was a 
noble instance of the resource and self-reliance so 
characteristic of his profession." 

Until this time no one imagined that Captain 
Fryatt could possibly be charged with a violation of 
international law in protecting himself and his ship 
from attack. The first suggestion of anything of 
the kind came in a news dispatch from Germany that 
the captain had allowed the submarine to approach 
for examination. This was utterly false, and the 
pretense of some German papers that he had sur- 
rendered and afterwards attacked the U-33, or that 
he was guilty of any deception, or any underhanded 
dealing is equally untrue. As was well said at the 
time, these false pleas can only be attributed " to the 
German desire to conceal a foul crime under a cloak 
of lies." 

We now come to what has been eloquently de- 
scribed as " the last and longest voyage of Captain 
Fryatt." He left his beautiful home at Dovercourt 
one evening in June, 19 16, more than a year after 
his last recorded encounter with a submarine. He 



JUDICIAL MUEDEE 123 

kissed his wife and children good-by in the best of 
spirits. He made the voyage to the Hook of Holland 
safely, and on the twenty-second of that month 
started for the return voyage. The Brussels had a 
cargo of foodstuff and some Belgian refugees on 
board. When the vessel reached the danger zone it 
was found that she was practically in the midst of 
the enemy. It was impossible to escape, and out of 
the question to fight. The ship was captured by a 
flotilla of German torpedo boats and taken as a prize 
to Zeebrugge. Captain Fryatt and the members of 
his crew conducted themselves in a quiet and dignified 
manner. He stood in the midst of his officers as 
unruffled as though he were on the bridge of his ship, 
and his chief thought was to comfort the weeping Bel- 
gian women, who were panic-stricken at the thought 
of being taken by the Germans. So far as it can be 
ascertained. Captain Fryatt and his crew were taken 
to Bruges in motor cars, and removed to Germany on 
the following day. Later, they were interned at 
Ruhleben. At all events, Mrs. Fryatt received a letter 
from her husband, sent from the camp at that place, 
and dated the first of July, in which he told her that 
he was leaving on a journey. 

It was the middle of the month when the Govern- 
ment and the public of Great Britain first learned that 
Captain Fryatt was to be tried by court-martial on 
the charge of ramming a German submarine. Ac- 
cording to the German official pronouncement, Captain 
Fryatt was condemned because : 

" Although he was not a member of a combatant 



124 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

force, he made an attempt, on the afternoon of 
March 28, 191 5, to ram the German submarine 
U-33 near the Maas Light Ship." 

It was then that Sir Edward Grey telegraphed to 
Mr. Gerard, United States Ambassador at BerHn, to 
inquire whether the report was correct. He followed 
this with a second dispatch, urging the American 
Ambassador to take all possible steps to secure the 
proper defense of Captain Fryatt in the event of the 
court-martial being held, and adding that the British 
Government was satisfied that in committing the act 
impugned. Captain Fryatt acted legitimately in self- 
defense for the purpose of evading capture or de- 
struction. 

In a third dispatch, sent on July 25, Sir Edward 
Grey announced that His Majesty's Government con- 
sidered '' that the act of a merchant ship, in steering 
for an enemy submarine and forcing her to dive, is 
essentially defensive, and precisely on the same foot- 
ing as used by a defensively armed vessel of her de- 
fensive armament in order to resist capture." 

On the following day, the British Foreign Office 
addressed the American Ambassador, at London, as 
follows : 

" His Majesty's Government find it difficult to be- 
lieve that a master of a merchant vessel who, after 
German submarines adopted the practice of sinking 
merchant vessels without warning, and without re- 
gard for the lives of passengers or crew, took a step 
which appeared to afford the only chance of saving not 
only the vessel, but the lives of all on board, can 



JUDICIAL MURDER 125 

have been deliberately shot in cold blood for this 
action. If the German Government have perpetrated 
such a crime in the case of a British subject held 
prisoner by them, it is evident that a most serious 
condition of affairs has arisen. 

" The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs is 
therefore obliged, on behalf of His Majesty's Gov- 
ernment, to request that urgent inquiry be made by 
the United States Embassy at Berlin, whether the 
report in the press of the shooting of Captain Fryatt 
is true, in order that His Majesty's Government may 
have, without delay, a full and undoubted account 
of the facts before them." 

But the story of the judicial murder of Captain 
Fryatt was only too true. A postponement of the 
trial had been asked for, but this was refused on the 
ground that " German submarine witnesses could not 
be further detained." It was announced that on the 
30th of July, Captain Fryatt had been shot on the 
previous Thursday, in an enclosed part of the harbor 
ground at Bruges, and that an alderman of the town 
had attended as a witness. The news of his death was 
officially confirmed by a telegram from the American 
Ambassador. The announcement of Captain Fryatt's 
death, under such circumstances, aroused a feeling 
of public indignation throughout the world. It was 
bitterly denounced everywhere, and on July 31, Mr. 
Asquith, the Premier, made the following statement 
in the House of Commons : 

" I deeply regret to say that it appears to be true 
that Captain Fryatt has been murdered by the Ger- 



126 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

mans. His Majesty's Government have heard, with 
the utmost indignation, of this atrocious crime against 
the law of nations and the usages of war. Coming 
as it does contemporaneously with the lawless cruel- 
ties on the population of Lille and other occupied dis- 
tricts of France, it shows that the German High Com- 
mand have, under the stress of military defeat, re- 
newed their policy of terrorism. It is impossible 
to guess to what further atrocities they may proceed. 
His Majesty's Government, therefore, desires to re- 
peat emphatically that they are resolved that such 
crimes shall not, if they can help it, go unpunished. 
When the time comes these criminals shall be dealt 
with, whoever they may be, and whatever their sta- 
tion. In such cases as this, the men who authorize 
the system under which such crimes are committed 
may well be the most guilty of all." 

Again, on August 15, in reply to a question, the 
Premier said: 

'' This country will not tolerate the resumption of 
diplomatic relations with Germany after the war if 
no reparation is made for the murder of Captain 
Fryatt. Some of our allies have suffered by brutali- 
ties even more gross, and on a more extended scale 
than ours by the actions of the German authorities. 
We are in consultation with them as to the best, most 
effective steps to be taken, and as to what conditions 
should be injected in the terms of peace to secure 
reparation that will satisfy justice." 

But while England and the civilized world were ex- 
pressing their indignation over this crime, the German 



JUDICIAL MURDER 127 

authorities were gloating over what they considered 
a master stroke in the war. Indeed, they justified 
the action in an official telegram which said : 

" One of the many nefarious and franc-tireur pro- 
ceedings of the British merchant marine against our 
war vessels has found a belated but merited expia- 
tion." 

One of the German newspapers published an article 
calling upon the German Government to treat Ameri- 
can volunteers fighting with Allied troops against 
Germany as franc-tireurs, and when captured to shoot, 
or preferably, to hang them. On August lo, the 
German Government issued the following statement 
in reply to the utterances of English officials on the 
subject : 

'* It is only too intelligible that the EngHsh Gov- 
ernment attempts to justify Captain Fryatt's action, 
for it is itself, in a high degree, a fellow culprit. 
Captain Fryatt acting as he did, acted only on the 
advice of his Government. 

" The British Government's statement not uninten- 
tionally misleads the public. Captain Fryatt's boat 
was not attacked without warning. The U-boat was 
above water and signaled to him, when above water, 
to stop, according to the international code of naval 
warfare. Therefore, he did not merely attempt to 
save the lives of his cnew, because they were not in 
danger. Moreover, on March 28, 191 5, Captain 
Fryatt allowed a submarine, which was approaching 
his ship for the purpose of examination, to draw up 
close so as to ram her suddenly and unexpectedly. 



128 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

His object being to destroy her and so gain the re- 
ward offered by the British Government, this act 
was not an act of self-defense but rather an action 
planned by higher assassins. Captain Fryatt boasted 
of his action, though happily he failed to attain his 
object. This was brought home to him during the 
trial by witnesses from the crew of the submarine in 
question, whose evidence was against him. The Brit- 
ish Parliament believed he had succeeded and praised 
his conduct, and the British Government rewarded 
him. 

** The German War Tribunal sentenced him to death <^ 
because he had performed an act of war against the" "; 
German sea forces, although he did not belong to 
the armed forces of his country. He was not de- 
liberately shot in cold blood without due considera- 
tion, as the British Government asserts, but only after 
calm consideration and a thorough investigation. As "iC 
the martial law on land protects soldiers againsi assas- 
sins by threatening the offender with the penalty of 
death, so it protects the members of the sea forces 
against the assassin at sea. Germany will continue 
to use this law of warfare in order to save her sub- 
marine crews from becoming the victims of franc- 
tireurs at sea." 

The insolence and audacity of the Germans in de- 
fending their " assassins of the sea " was never better 
illustrated than this official defense on the part of 
their Government. Naval experts of the United 
States hold that Captain Fryatt was regarded to be 
a prisoner of war, and that decisions in American 



JUDICIAL MURDER 129 

courts upheld his act as an act of a belHgerent. It 
was charged that he attempted to ram the German 
submarine. An English authority, in reply to this, 
says: 

"And if he did, what crime did he do? Already 
the Germans had destroyed without warning more than 
a score of unarmed British vessels of commerce and 
were now regretting that their pirates had missed so 
many others." 

Only a few weeks afterwards the great, unarmed 
ocean liner, the Liisitania, was sunk without warning 
and with a loss of upwards of one thousand lives, in- 
cluding many American citizens. The decree of 
February had served notice on all seafarers that when- 
ever they met a German submarine, they were to con- 
sider themselves attacked, since it was no longer possi- 
ble to go through the formality of giving notice of an 
attack. What other meaning can be put upon the 
words : 

" Every enemy merchant vessel found in this war 
region will be destroyed without notice, as it is not al- 
ways possible to warn a crew or passengers of the dan- 
gers threatening." 

" That resistance to such an attack is legitimate is 
clear from the prize law of the great States; of the 
British Empire, the United States, Italy, Spain, and 
others. It is even admitted by the German Prize 
Regulations. It is true that the German Regulations 
speak of armed merchant vessels; but that can make 
no difference. A merchant vessel is none the less 7^ 



130 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

merchant vessel because she is armed ; her officers and 
crew do not become members of a combatant force 
because the vessel carries guns for defense; a mer- 
chantman is permitted to resist an enemy warship, 
not because she has any combatant quality, but be- 
cause she will be captured at the best, or, if she meets 
a German submarine, probably sunk without warn- 
ing; and even capture is an act of hostility to which 
merchantmen need not submit." 

The justice of these contentions has been admitted 
by an eminent German international lawyer, Dr. Hans 
Wehberg, in his book " Das Seekriegsrecht," pub- 
lished since the outbreak of the war. He writes: 

" In truth, no single example can be produced from 
international precedents in which the States have 
held that resistance is not permissible. On the con- 
trary, in the celebrated decision in the case of the 
Catharina-Elizaheth, resistance was declared permis- 
sible," and Article X, of the American Naval Code, 
takes the same standpoint. By far the greatest num- 
ber of authors and the niceties of international law 
share this view. An enemy merchant ship has then 
the right of defense against an enemy attacks, and 
this right was meant to be exercised against visit, 
for this, indeed, is the first act of capture." 

The feeling in Great Britain may be understood 
when it is stated that up to the time of the judicial 
murder of Captain Fryatt, the lives of over four 
hundred men connected with British merchantmen 
and fishing boats had been lost through attacks made 
upon them by German submarines. They were sunk 



JUDICIAL MURDER 131 

and their crews murdered because they were not large 
enough to defend themselves. As Mr. Balfour tersely 
put it at the time : '' Neither enemy civilians nor 
neutrals are to possess rights against militant Ger- 
many; those who do resist will be drowned, and 
those who do not, will be shot." That, in a sentence, 
was the German theory of Freedom of the Seas. 

There was a story in circulation at the time of the 
capture of Captain Fryatt that his identity, and the 
proof of his guilt, were established by the inscription 
on the inside case of the gold watch which had been 
presented to him by the British Government, but this 
has since been officially denied by the British Admir- 
alty. This w^atch and the watch awarded him by the 
Great Eastern Railway Company for his previous 
exploit, did not fall into the hands of a pirate sub- 
marine, but are in the safe-keeping of his widow and 
will be treasured as an heirloom in the family. 

It may be well, at this time, to give an official nar- 
rative of the circumstances concerning the capture, the 
condemnation and the shooting of Captain Fryatt. 
It was written by William Hartwell, who was the 
first officer of the British steamship Brussels at the 
time of its capture in 1916. He wrote this account 
while he was interned in Holland, addressing it to 
the chief official of the Great Eastern Railway Co. : 

*' Sir : This being the first opportunity since the 
capture of the Brussels in 19 16, I will endeavor to give 
you details of the capture and happenings up to July 
27, this being the date of Captain Fryatt's death. 
I beg to report that on June 22 the steamship Brussels 



132 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

left Rotterdam with cargo and passengers for Til- 
bury, stopping at the Hook of Holland. She left the 
Hook Quay at ii p. m. on that day, the weather being 
very fine and clear. All saloon and cabin lights were 
extinguished before passing the North Pier Light. 
Directly after passing it, a very bright light was 
shown from the beach, about four miles north of the 
Hook, followed by a bright star, such as a rocket 
would throw. After a lapse of ten minutes this was 
repeated. On both occasions Captain Fryatt and my- 
self remarked upon it, as we had never seen similar 
lights on any previous occasions. After passing the 
Maas Light Vessel, all Board of Trade Regulation 
Lights were darkened. Five miles west of the light 
vessel a very small craft, probably a submarine not 
submerged, commenced Morseing the letter ' S ' at in- 
tervals. No other lights were visible. 

" After running for one hour and thirty minutes, an 
extra sharp look-out was kept for a steamer that 
was going in the same direction and without lights, 
the port and starboard lights of the Brussels being 
put on for the time being. At 12.46 craft without 
lights were seen at a point on the starboard bow, 
traveling at a great speed in the opposite direction. 
These proved to be German destroyers of the latest 
type, five in all. Two came alongside on the star- 
board side, and one on the port side, the other two 
following close behind. During the time the destroy- 
ers were approaching, their commanders were shout- 
ing orders to stop, asking the name of the ship, and 
threatening to fire on us. No firing occurred, how- 



JUDICIAL MURDER 133 

ever. As soon as Captain Fryatt was assured that 
the destroyers were German, he gave orders for all 
passengers to be ready to take to the boats if neces- 
sary, and quietly instructed me to destroy all dispatches 
and official papers. His instructions were carried 
out, and as the last bag was destroyed German sea- 
men, armed with pistols and bombs, appeared on the 
starboard alley-way. I passed through the saloon to 
the deck and met more German seamen, who were driv- 
ing all the crew they could find over the rail on to the 
destroyers. I was ordered over the rail, but refused 
to go, and then met the officer who came on board to 
take charge. He requested me to show him to the 
bridge, which I did. He greeted Captain Fryatt, and 
congratulated himself over the great prize. 

" rSatisfied that all was well, the destroyers left and 
made for Zeebrugge. The course was given for the 
Schouwenbank light vessel, and the order was given 
for full speed ahead, but no reply came from the 
engine room, as the engineers had been driven over 
the side with the majority of the crew. This greatly 
excited the German officer, who drew his revolver and 
threatened to shoot Captain Fryatt and myself if we 
failed to assist him, and to blow up the ship if the 
orders to the engine room were not complied with at 
once. It was some minutes before the German offi- 
cer could be convinced that the engineers and most of 
the crew were on the destroyers. He then ordered 
his own men to the engine room, and instead of go- 
ing full speed ahead, the engines were on full speed 
astern. This also angered the officer, and matters be- 



134 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

came very unpleasant on the bridge. I was ordered 
to go to the engine room to inform the Germans of 
their mistake. By this time the steam was greatly 
falling back, owing to the stokers being away, and 
the order was given that all on board, except Captain 
Fryatt and myself, should maintain steam till the 
ship arrived at Zeebrugge. On reaching the Schou- 
wenbank light vessel, the German flag was hoisted, and 
directly after the Flushing mail boat for Tilbury 
passed quite close. 

" Captain Fryatt was assured that soon after her 
arrival at Tilbury the capture of the Brussels would 
be reported. The Brussels was met and escorted by 
several airplanes to Zeebrugge, where the destroyers 
were already moored. On arrival at Zeebrugge the 
Brussels was moored alongside the Mole. The en- 
gineers and crew all returned. The crew were sent 
to their quarters and kept under armed guard. The 
officers and engineers were placed under a guard in 
the smokeroom, and Captain Fryatt held in his room. 
The Belgian refugees were closely searched, and landed 
at Zeebrugge. After a stay of about five hours the 
Brussels left and proceeded to Bruges under her own 
steam. 

" For some reason Captain Fryatt was kept in his 
cabin, and I was sent to the bridge, not to assist or 
officiate in any way, but simply to stand under guard 
and to be questioned at intervals by the Germans if 
they could get the right answers. During the passage 
from Zeebrugge to Bruges both sides of the canal 
were thronged in places, and both the soldiers and the 



JUDICIAL MURDER 135 

marine Landsturm were greatly excited. On reach- 
ing Bruges the crew were taken off and sent to a wait- 
ing shed. Only Captain Fryatt and myself, with many 
German officers, remained on board. After we had 
been questioned at lunch Captain Fryatt and I were 
photographed, and we then joined the crew in the 
shed, being afterward taken to a building in the town. 
All of us, including stewardesses and twenty-five Rus- 
sians, were packed in, and there was scarcely standing 
room. 

" After some hours, following a request to the prison 
commandant, the stewardesses were allowed separate 
quarters in the top of the building. Otherwise they 
were treated in the same way as male prisoners untd 
they were separated to go to a different camp. At 
3 A. M. on June 25, orders came for all to be ready 
for the train to Germany, the stewardesses joining us 
at the station. At 5 a. m. we all left, closely packed, 
in cattle trucks, and on arrival at Ghent we were 
escorted to very dirty and unhealthful quarters under- 
ground. At 5 A. M. on the following day we left 
Ghent for Germany, via Cologne, where the steward- 
esses and Russians were separated to go to other 
camps. After being exhibited at Berlin, as at Han- 
over and other stations, the rest went to Ruhleben, 
where they arrived at 5 p. m., June 28. Two days 
later Captain Fryatt and I received orders to the effect 
that we were to be prepared to leave the camp at § 
p. M. for Bruges on ship's business. 

" We arrived at Bruges at 7 a. m. on July 2, after 
visiting Ostend by mistake on the part of the escort. 



136 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

We reported to the port commandant at 9 a. m., and 
were taken from him to the town prison and put in 
cells. From then onward we were treated as crim- 
inals. We were occasionally visited by German offi- 
cials and questioned as to the submarine and other 
subjects, on which Captain Fryatt made a clear and 
open statement to the Germans, with nothing con- 
demning to himself. From the time of being placed 
in the prison at Bruges to July 15, I saw Captain 
Fryatt and spoke to him on several occasions, after 
which I never spoke to him until one hour before he 
was shot. 

" I will endeavor to make you understand the so- 
called tribunal or trial. On July 24 Captain Fryatt 
and myself were questioned and cross-questioned in 
the prison, and, so far as I could learn. Captain Fryatt 
never added to or departed from his opening state- 
ment. It was then that we were first informed of 
the tribunal that was to follow. On July 26th we 
were told to be ready for the tribunal, which was to 
take place at Bruges Town Hall on the 27th at 11 
A. M. On July 2j at 9 a. m. the door of the cell 
was opened, and an escort was waiting. To my 
surprise, four of the crew were in the waiting cell. 
Each man was escorted to the Town Hall, Captain 
Fryatt and I being the last to go, and placed under 
a strong guard until the trial began. 

'* At 12 noon Captain Fryatt was called into his place 
before the so-called bench, and repeated his previous 
statement. I followed and answered questions that 
appeared to be ridiculous, not appearing either to de- 



JUDICIAL MURDER 137 

fend or condemn Captain Fryatt. At the same time 
an officer in uniform appeared, and, approaching Cap- 
tain Fryatt and myself, informed us in broken Eng- 
lish that he was for the defense. The Naval Com- 
mandant of the port conducted the trial, and also 
acted as interpreter. At 4 p. m. the Naval Command- 
ant informed us that all was over so far, and that 
the decision rested with the naval officers, who had 
retired to another room, and the verdict would be made 
known after we had returned to our cells. The offi- 
cer for the defense then spoke again, and said he 
would do his utmost to save Captain Fryatt. 

After being again placed in the cells, the chief 
warder of the prison came to me at 5.30 p. m., and told 
me I was to go and stop with Captain Fryatt, as 
that was his last night. I then met Captain Fryatt, 
who was very much distressed, not so much because of 
the verdict, but of the unfair and cowardly manner 
in which everything was done. He told me himself 
that he was to be shot on the next morning, and after 
having a talk for about an hour — it was then 6.30 
p. M. — the prison official took his watch from his 
pocket and said that in a short time the escort would 
be there, and Captain Fryatt would be shot at 7 p. m. 
The last twenty-five minutes I spent with him were 
appalling. At 6.55 p. m. I wished him " good-by," and 
promised I would deliver his last messages, which 
were many, and returned to my cell. 

" Punctually at 7 p. m., a very short distance from 
the prison walls, a band commenced to play, and poor 
Fryatt was no more. Late the same evening an offi- 



138 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

cial came to my cell and described to me, in the best 
way he could, how Fryatt died. He was shot by six- 
teen rifles, the bullets of which penetrated through his 
heart, carrying with them the clothes he was wearing 
through the body and out at the back. 

" Sir, I was and am still proud of Captain Fryatt's 
manly conduct right up to the last, and I may add that 
there was not a German present at the trial who could 
face him." 

At the time of the murder of Captain Fryatt, one 
of the leading German newspapers declared : 
" Doubtless there will be among England's sympa- 
thizers, all the world over, a storm of indignation 
against barbarism similar to that aroused by the case of 
Miss Cavell. That must not disurb us." 

The newspaper and the Germans were not disap- 
pointed. There was a wave of horror and detestation 
throughout the civilized world. In Holland, the 
Nieuwe Rotterdamischc Courant, on July 29, con- 
demned the outrage and said : 

*' At the time the captain of the Brussels made his 
unsuccessful attempt, the submarine war w^as being car- 
ried on in the most brutal manner in contempt of all 
rules of humanity. The mere sighting of a German 
submarine meant death for soldiers who are now called 
* f ranc-tireur ' in the German communique. To claim 
for one's self the right to kill soldiers and civilians 
out of hand, but to brand as ' franc-tireur ' the civil- 
ian who does not willingly submit to execution amounts, 
in our opinion, to measuring justice with a different 



JUDICIAL MURDER 139 

scale according to whether it is to be applied to one's 
self or to another. That is, in our view, arbitrariness 
and injustice, and that touches us, even in the midst of 
all the horrors of the war ; it shakes the neutrals and 
arouses fresh bitterness and hatred in the enemy." 

The First Lord of the British Admiralty, Mr. Bal- 
four, voiced his country's condemnation of German 
barbarity when he said : 

" Doubtless it is their wrath, by the skill and energy 
with which British merchant captains and British 
crews have defended the lives and property under their 
charge, that has driven the German Admiralty into 
their latest and stupidest acts of calculated ferocity 
— the judicial murder of Captain Fryatt. 

" I do not propose to argue this case. It is not 
worth arguing. Why should we do the German mili- 
tary authorities the injustice of supposing that they 
were haunted, by any solicitude for the principles of 
international law, and blundered into illegality by some 
unhappy accident? Their folly was of a different kind 
and flowed from a different source. They knew quite 
well that when Captain Fryatt's gallantry saved his 
ship, the Germans had sunk, without warning, twenty- 
two British merchant ships and had attempted to sink 
many others. They knew that in refusing tamely to 
submit himself to such a fate, he was doing his duty 
as a man of courage and of honor. They were re- 
solved, at all costs, to discourage imitation.'' 

But the German mind is very hard to understand, 
and in spite of the opinion of the civilized world, they 
persist in justifying the murder of Captain Fryatt 



140 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the same as they justify the murder of Edith Cavell 
and the sinking of the Lusitania. 

A commission that was appointed to go into the 
case, made a hair-splitting report in the course of 
which they held the German authorities to be per- 
fectly within their rights in condemning this gallant 
Englishman to death. The only ray of light in this 
gloomy business is the fact that there are individual 
Germans who disagree with the official Germans, and 
condemn the outrage. Two of these, Edward Bern- 
stein and Dr. Bohenleden, of the Committee of In- 
quiry into accusations on the viewpoint of interna- 
tional law relating to the treatment of prisoners of 
war in Germany, made a formal declaration in which 
they differed from the judgments of the committee in 
regard to the sentence and execution of Captain Fry- 
att. They said: 

" We declare a disagreement from the judgment 
of the committee, and declare further that the ac- 
tion against Captain Fryatt, and his condemnation, is 
an act of serious violation of international law. We 
wish to expressly state that the committee has ex- 
amined this case very carefully and conscientiously, 
and that we have arrived at the conclusion that the 
doing of Captain Fryatt to death was judicial mur- 
der." 



VI 

EUGENE VAN DOREN AND THE SECRET 
PRESS OF BELGIUM 



VI 

EUGENE VAN DOREN AND THE SECRET 
PRESS OF BELGIUM 

THIS is a story of how a Belgian patriot and 
journalist, aided by a coterie of his faith- 
ful countrymen, published an anti-German 
newspaper during the German occupation of Belgium 
and made life miserable for von Bissing and the sup- 
posed conquerors of the courageous little country. 

It was one of the great mysteries of the war, was 
this strange publication which, coming out at irregu- 
lar intervals, excoriated the invaders and defied them 
to do their worst. La Libre Belgique, or Free Belgium, 
as it was called, was printed under the very nose of 
von Bissing, and invariably a complimentary copy was 
left at his doorstep. The daring deeds of this clandes- 
tine press were heralded in all parts of the world and 
did much to keep alive the cause of liberty. It may 
be said to have been the one newspaper which scorned 
the censor and said what it pleased, when it pleased, 
and in the manner in which it pleased. 

The German Governor-General of Belgium let it 
be known that choice rewards would be given to 
the man who would run down this pestiferous little 
newspaper. A price was on the head of its publisher 
and editor, but the great problem was to first ascertain 

143 



144 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

where it was printed, and then to arrest the culprits. 
Scores of spies and secret agents were put on the 
scent, but they had their labor for their pains. Time 
and time again they thought they had the culprits, 
only to find that they had eluded them. Free Belgium 
was as slippery as an eel, as shrewd as a fox, as wise 
as an owl, and as untamed as a wild western broncho. 

The moment the Germans took possession of Bel- 
gium the newspapers of that country automatically sus- 
pended publication. The newspapers knew that they 
would be German-controlled, and they did not propose 
to work for the enemy. As a consequence of this, the 
Germans were compelled to publish their own organs 
of information, but these publications had no readers 
among the Belgians. Instead, almost magically, they 
had their own newspaper in Free Belgium. Never in 
the history of journalism was there a more audacious 
enterprise. Editors, proof-readers, pressmen, com- 
positors and circulators knew that if detected they 
were liable to death. It was this that made their 
courage so sublime, and it was this that prompted 
them to give their services free of cost to their afflicted 
country. There was a sense of humor in the an- 
nouncement in the initial number which stated that it 
was a " bulletin of patriotic propaganda, regularly 
irregular, submitting to absolutely no censorship." 

When the powerful von Bissing received a copy of 
the first number he immediately issued an order that 
the editors and publishers should be arrested and 
brought to his presence. An army of police set out 
to execute the order, but like the famous king of 



SECEET PEESS OF BELGIUM 145 

history, they marched up the hill only to march down 
again. They could not locate the offenders. It was 
very humiliating to them. It was more so to the peev- 
ish Governor-General. What was the use of having 
all of his power if he could not have his orders obeyed? 
He sat in state in the Palace only to have the most 
humble of the Belgians laughing at his impotence. 
The paper was distributed free throughout Belgium, 
and during the war it was read by hundreds of thou- 
sands of people. With fine irony the office of the 
publication was said to be at the " Kommandantur- 
Brussels." The editorial rooms were shrouded in 
impenetrable secrecy. Not being always in a place of 
complete rest, the editors gleefully declared that they 
did their work " in a cave moved about by automo- 
bile.'* The Germans, being entirely without a sense of 
humor, raged when they read this bit of foolery. 

Naturally the readers of the brave newspaper were as 
much in the dark concerning its origin and place of 
publication as were the Germans. They were content 
to read it from time to time, and when a long period 
intervened between numbers they were filled with fear 
lest its authors had been apprehended. But now that 
the war has ended the curtain has been lifted, and the 
mystery of the remarkable publication is no longer 
a mystery. We know how their brave project was 
conceived, how it was put into execution, and the 
manner in which they eluded the clutches of their 
barbarous enemies. 

The head and front of the adventure was M. Eugene 
van Doren, a modest, unassuming Belgian journalist 



146 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

who made up in moral courage what he lacked in 
physical proportions. He was the principal author of 
Free Belgium, and he was aided by a staff of clever 
writers and workers, of whom M. Victor Jourdain 
was a shining light. M. van de Kercheve was an- 
other of the staff who, under the signature of ** Fide- 
lis," told what he thought of the invaders in a style 
which literally skinned them alive. During most of 
the time Free Belgium was published in the city of 
Brussels and in one of the neighboring suburbs. The 
first number contained what has been truly described 
as the " magnificent pastoral letter of Cardinal Mercier 
on Patriotism and Endurance." The German offi- 
cials would have given anything to have suppressed 
that utterance, but, instead, it found its way into 
every nook and corner of Belgium. 

The expedients which these patriotic men were com- 
pelled to employ were wonderful in their simplicity. 
M. van Doren's wife assisted him in placing copies 
in envelopes, and he personally delivered them where 
they were calculated to do the most good. Each 
member of the Senate and of the House of Represen- 
tatives was furnished with a copy, and bundles were 
turned over to the Dominicans, the Jesuits and the 
Redemptorists and others upon whose discretion they 
could surely depend. On one occasion M. van Doren 
was compelled to place copies into the hollow of a 
cane, a performance that was all the more easy because 
that issue was printed on silk paper. He used every 
precaution to protect the authors of the articles. Thus, 
all of the manuscripts, after being put into type, were 



iteflfi! 




CARTOON DEPICTING THE KAISER IN HELL 



SECRET PRESS OP BELGIUM 147 

destroyed. If he were discovered, this brave man 
determined to save the lives of his associates. 

Artists as well as writers contributed to Free Bel- 
gium, and one of the most notable productions in that 
publication was a cartoon depicting the Kaiser in 
Hell. It was an adaptation of a famous illustration 
on Napoleon, and was merely altered so that the face 
of the Corsican became that of the Emperor William. 
The Governor-General was almost frenzied at this 
number of the clandestine newspaper, and he doubled 
the rewards for the detection of the authors, but with- 
out avail. Then, while he was still laboring under 
the excitement caused by this cartoon, another came 
out, holding him up to the ridicule and contempt of 
the populace. That was the worst of all, because 
nothing cuts so deep as satire and ridicule. 

During all of this time it may be remembered that 
Cardinal Mercier was supposed to be a prisoner in his 
episcopal residence. But in spite of that fact the emi- 
nent churchman managed to address his countrymen, 
and always it was to give them words of encourage- 
ment and hope. He bade them obey their conquerors 
in things that were lawful, but never to concede that 
they were anything but Belgians, and always to stand 
loyally by their King. Many of these addressess were 
given wide publicity by means of Free Belgium. One 
of them which had been delivered before a compara- 
tively small audience was circulated throughout the 
kingdom by means of this newspaper. It said, among 
other things: 

" My brothers, I do not need to exhort you to per- 



148 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

severe in your resistance of the invaders. I come 
rather to tell you how proud we are of you. A day 
does not go by without my receiving from friends of 
all nationalities letters of condolence which invariably 
terminate with the words : ' Poor Belgium ! ' and I 
answer, ' No, no, not poor Belgium, but great Belgium, 
incomparable Belgium, heroic Belgium ! ' On the map 
of the world it is only a tiny spot which many foreign- 
ers would not notice without the aid of a magnifying 
glass; but to-day there is not a nation in the world 
which does not render homage to this Belgium. 

"How grand and beautiful she is! If they could 
see her as we see her, they would know there is not 
a single Belgian who weeps or complains. I have 
not yet met on my way a single workman without 
work; a woman without resources, a mother in tears, 
a wife in mourning who was sorrowing. 

" This is what disconcerts the men who have been 
among us for a year. It is now just one year that 
they have been living among us, and they do not 
know us yet. They are stupefied. On one hand no 
one complains. We shall obey and shall continue to 
obey the regulations which they have imposed upon 
us by force, but on the other hand not one heart gives 
itself to them, and by the grace of God, none will 
give itself to them. We have a King, one King, and 
we will continue to have one King until that great 
and glorious day when afflicted Belgium comes into 
its own once again ! " 

Much of the mystery surrounding the publication 
of Free Belgium was cleared up by an article which 



SECRET PRESS OF BELGIUM 149 

was published in the French newspaper Le Petit Pari- 
sien, of January 7, 19 19. The translation of that 
story, in part, is substantially as follows: • 

" After the third number of Free Belgium, imme- 
diately following a visit of the police to the home 
of Madame Massardo, wife of a bookseller of the 
Galeres Saint-Hubert, who served as the intermediary 
for the copy, the printer refused his help. Further, 
the copy for this number had to be thrown into the 
fire. M. the Abbe Demeer, to whom M. van Doren 
intrusted the secret, obtained the consent of another 
printer, M. Allaer, on the condition that when the 
printing was done, the issues of Free Belgium be de- 
livered to M, van Doren in a public street. All went 
well this way. Friends and collaborators increased 
and the paper produced, at each issue, a new sensation 
— and redoubled the searches of the German police. 

" It was urgent, however, to take new precautions. 
M. van Doren, anxious about the life of his printer, 
decided to compose the paper at his own house. In 
consequence, he bought the necessary material — in 
order to prevent the spies from following the trail by 
the easy identification of characters. And he installed 
the plant on the Avenue Verte, at Woluwe, in an aban- 
doned house, where he could work in all security with 
the aid of two professional printers, the Allaer broth- 
ers. Again, Free Belgium appeared without interrup- 
tion. 

" As its success became greater and greater, it was 
necessary to insure delivery of the paper to the houses 
of its subscribers. The cooperation of an ardent pa- 



150 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

triot was secured. He was Phillipe Baucq, whom the 
Germans shot at the same time as Miss Cavell. The 
work was divided up thus : M. van Doren kept for him- 
self the deHvery of the big packages, and PhilHpe 
Baucq effected the distribution of single papers. 

" The devotion of this man was so splendid that 
he alone distributed four or five thousand copies. He 
made trips at night on a bicycle. Later, when the 
bicycling was forbidden, he went on foot. At one 
time he walked for two days without rest. 

" Each new day made necessary the most minute 
precautions. M. van Doren decided to print Free 
Belgium, which, until then, was only set up in his 
shop at Woluwe. M. Victor Jourdain furnished the 
necessary funds to buy a foot-power press, which was 
installed at Molenbeeck, a suburb of Brussels, in an 
outbuilding of a factory belonging to M. van Doren. 
From then on, the paper was set up at Woluwe 
and printed at Molenbeeck. 

" But the transportation of material was not al- 
ways an easy matter. M. van Doren had to make 
two little cases, which, when filled, weighed about 
twenty kilos. Also, when he got aboard a trolley car 
with packages so small, yet so heavy, he was always 
an object of curiosity to passengers. 

*' In the midst of these inconveniences there arose 
at times amusing incidents. One day, especially, while 
M. Louis Allaer was carrying four thousand copies of 
Free Belgium he was obligingly aided by some Ger- 
man soldier, who lifted the box to his shoulder! 

" The success of Free Belgium progressed with such 



SECEET PRESS OF BELGIUM 151 

rapidity, to the constantly growing anger of the Gov- 
ernor-General, whose spies came back empty-handed 
day after day, that the printing shop had to be en- 
larged. A new machine was bought and carried piece 
by piece to the shop at Molenbeeck. There M. van 
Doren was surrounded by Germans; it was neces- 
sary to prevent the noise of the motor from giving 
them the alarm. Remember that there was a reward 
of one hundred thousand francs for him who should 
discover the office of the forbidden paper! M. van 
Doren secured the necessary tools and materials, and 
simply walled up the press and the motor. Before the 
wall he placed some furniture, and he entered his shop 
by a little door hidden behind some scrap iron and 
cardboard boxes. 

" When the installation w^as done, there waS pub- 
lished the famous number which showed on the front 
page the picture of von Bissing seated at his desk read- 
ing Free Belgium. Throughout Belgium, people liter- 
ally tore copies of this issue from each other's hands. 

" Soon after, on the occasion of the Belgian na- 
tional holiday. Free Belgium summoned the people 
of Brussels to meet at Sainte-Gudule. It was the 
most beautiful manifestation of patriotism that can be 
imagined. Those present thundered out the ' Bra- 
banconne,' then, carried away by their enthusiasm, all 
followed with ' Toward the Future.' 

" The German spies were on the trail ; the plant had 
to be broken up in great haste; the material was car- 
ried to the house of a friend of Baucq, on the Rue 
d'Arlon, at Brussels. These tribulations did not dis- 



152 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

courage M. van Doren. The book ' J'Accuse ' had 
just appeared in Switzerland; he decided to publish it 
in installments in Free Belgium. Publication began in 
No. 50 of the paper. Twenty thousand copies had 
to be printed. 

"The danger became pressing. Searches were 
made without end and arrest followed arrest. Not 
at all worried, M. van Doren published a new number 
with a dedication in caricature, representing von Biss- 
ing bowed down under the weight of a stack of search 
warrants against Free Belgium^ Then he launched 
an illustrated paper entitled La Cravache {The Whip), 
printing ten thousand copies, which were distributed 
free. 

" The catastrophe happened. Discovered, M. van 
Doren had time to take flight and found refuge with 
relatives, later with friends, at Brussels, where he 
stayed for several months, laughing at the searches 
of the police. But Free Belgium did not discontinue 
its irregular appearances, thanks to the devotion of 
several patriotic Belgians. This one and that one 
might be arrested, or sentenced, but some one would 
pick up the interrupted work. Among them were 
merchants, printers, bankers, priests, lawyers, poli- 
ticians. Never could the Germans get hold of Free 
Belgium, in spite of the years of forced labor that 
they inflicted upon its successive collaborators." 

Is it too much to class M. Eugene van Doren with 
the heroes of the war? Scarcely, for all who read the 
story of his industry and his courage in the face of 
danger will concede that he is entitled to a place with 



SECRET PRESS OF BELGIUM 153 

King Albert, Cardinal Mercier and the other brave 
men who did so much for the cause of freedom and 
civilization. 



VII 



THE MAD ADVENTURE OF SIR ROGER 
CASEMENT 



VII 



THE MAD ADVENTURE OF SIR ROGER 
CASEMENT 

WAS Sir Roger Casement a patriot, a traitor, 
or a madman? That is the natural query 
which must come to the average person after 
reading the evidence in the case, and if there is no 
answer forthcoming the difficulty must be attributed 
to the puzzling and picturesque personality of the 
chief figure in this extraordinary adventure. There 
are thousands of persons who look upon Casement as 
a patriot, other thousands who are perfectly satisfied 
that he was a traitor, and a small and intelligent minor- 
ity who insist that his actions are only explainable 
on the score of mental irresponsibility. We have 
heard of men with dual natures. Could it be possi- 
ble for a man to have a triple personality? If so, 
we might solve the Casement problem by regarding 
him as a patriot, traitor and lunatic. 

His case bears a remarkable resemblance to that of 
the famous Napper Tandy, the only difference being 
that Tandy was a soldier, and Casement more of a 
publicist and idealist. General Tandy, who was a 
favorite of the first Napoleon, organized an expedi- 
tion to take Ireland in the interest of the Little Cor- 

157 



158 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

sican. He set sail in a vessel loaded with ammuni- 
tion, and actually made a landing and issued a procla- 
mation. But the expected uprising was short-lived. 
Tandy was eventually arrested, and came very near 
being executed. But he contrived to escape with his 
life and went to Paris where he was lionized and re- 
warded by the French. His story is told in full in 
" The World's Greatest Military Spies and Secret 
Service Agents." 

But the story of the mad adventure of Sir Roger 
Casement will have to speak for itself — here are the 
facts in the case given as fully and as impartially as 
possible. 

On the night of Thursday, April 20, 1916, John 
Hussey, a laborer, stood on the wind-swept shore of 
the Kerry coast and gazed toward the sea. Suddenly, 
out of the darkness of the night, came the flashing of 
a red light. It appeared at intervals, blinking and 
disappearing, after the manner of a prearranged sig- 
nal. Adventure rarely entered into the lives of the 
people who lived in that sparsely-settled section of 
Ireland, but the unlettered man who beheld the red 
light had in his heart a love of romance, and he sensed 
something out of the ordinary. At the same time a 
small boat approached Tralee Bay under circumstances 
that aroused suspicion. The authorities learned of 
these matters;- and the Government boats which had 
been patrolling that part of the Irish coast renewed 
their vigilance. 

On all sides there was a premonition of an approach- 
ing adventure — a sense of something unusual in the 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 159 

air. As one man put it at the time, he felt sure 
that " something was going to happen." 

Well, something did happen, and it proved to be 
the most sensational incident that had occurred in the 
crowded history of the Kerry coast. 

The day following the night when the blinking 
light was first seen, April 21, 19 16, was Good Friday. 
That morning His Majesty's vessel, The Bluebell, 
sighted a suspicious-looking ship flying the Norwegian 
ensign, and with four Norwegian ensigns painted for- 
ward and aft on each side of the vessel. The captain 
of The Bluebell hoisted a signal demanding the name 
of the ship. The reply came that she was the And 
of Bergen, and that she was bound for Genoa. She 
was told in polite nautical language that she would 
have to come into port. 

" Where are you taking me? " she signaled. 

The answer to this query was the firing of a shot 
across her bow. It was evident that the commander 
of The Bluebell would stand for no nonsense. The 
captain of the And surrendered as gracefully as pos- 
sible. 

He was told that he should proceed ahead of The 
Bluebell, and he complied w^ith the command. The 
two vessels went their way and presently passed 
abreast the lighthouse at Queenstown. ,Then the And 
hoisted a signal which said : 

" Where am I to anchor upon arriving in the har- 
bor?" 

There was no answer to this. Probably the com- 
mander of The Bluebell was becoming tired of reply- 



160 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

ing to questions. At this stage of the game a rather 
queer proceeding occurred. The only explanation of 
it was " German efficiency.'' The captain had been 
given certain instructions and he must have felt that 
it was his duty to carry them out to the letter. At all 
events, two Germans ensigns were suddenly broken 
at her masts, and almost simultaneously two small 
boats were lowered. The Bluebell fired one round 
across the bow of the boats and the occupants imme- 
diately hoisted flags of truce and the men held up their 
hands in token of surrender. 

In the meanwhile the And tossed about the water 
with the air of a drunken ship. She lurched on one 
side and the other in an uncertain manner for some 
minutes, and then slowly began to sink. Even be- 
fore the men in the boats had reached the shore the 
masts of the guilty ship disappeared beneath the 
waters of the Irish Sea. 

All of the men were placed under arrest. There 
were nineteen sailors and three officers. They talked 
broken English, and when taken into custody shrugged 
their shoulders with the air of men who were ac- 
customed to taking things as they came. Later divers 
ascertained that the cargo of the Aud consisted of 
Russian rifles of the 1905 pattern. It was quite evi- 
dent that this was part of a German conspiracy to 
join in an uprising in Ireland. 

But the curious reader may well ask : " What has 
all of this to do with Sir Roger Casement? '* 

Well, the answer to that query was to come from 
another source. At four o'clock on the morning of 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 161 

Good Friday, John McCarthy, a farmer Hving at Cur- 
raghane, found an apparently abandoned boat on the 
shore. Filled with curiosity, he made an examination 
and discovered a dagger, a tin box full of pistol am- 
munition and other articles. Nearby, buried in the 
sand, were three Mauser pistols, two handbags filled 
with ammunition, six maps of Ireland, a flashlamp 
and three coats. 

In the pocket of one of the coats w^as a railroad ticket 
from Berlin to Wilhelmshaven, dated April 12, 19 16. 
The authorities afterwards made a great deal of 
this bit of pasteboard. It was photographed and 
shown to the jury as part of the proof that Sir 
Roger Casement had been in Germany at the time in- 
dicated. But the dramatic phases of the adventure 
were only beginning. McCarthy noticed the foot- 
prints of three men leading from the shore toward 
his house, and continuing through his yard to a stile 
leading in the direction of Ardfert. Such was the 
evidence of the farmer who had been on the shore at 
that unusual hour on Good Friday morning — his 
presence there being prompted by his desire to say 
some prayers at what is known as the Holy Well of 
the neighborhood. 

The story is next taken up by Mary Gorman, a farm 
servant, who saw three men passing along the road 
in the direction of Ardfert. The police were notified 
at this stage of the proceeding and Sergeant Heanie 
searched the neighborhood in the quest for the three 
suspicious-looking characters. They were located 
finally in what was called McKenna's Fort. McKcn- 



162 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

na's Fort was in reality a cave where the three men 
had sought refuge. The leader of the trio, when 
asked to give his name, said : 

" I am Richard Morton, of Denham." 

*' What is your business? " inquired the officer. 

" I am a writer — an author." 

The sergeant was plainly skeptical. He wanted 
more detailed information. 

" What have you written? " 

" Well, among other things, the * Life of St. Bran- 
don.' " 

"Where do you come from? " 

" I came to Kerry from Dublin and arrived at 
Mount Brandon on the nineteenth. I left there on 
the twentieth, slept at a farm house and intended to 
go to Tralee." 

The man was not Richard Morton, but Sir Roger 
Casement, and most of his statements were the prod- 
ucts of his imagination. 

He was taken to Ardfert Barracks, where he was 
charged with landing arms and ammunition in county 
Kerry. He wanted to know if he could have legal 
assistance, but this was a question which the local 
authorities did not pretend to determine. On the way 
to the barracks he was seen to drop a piece of paper. 
When this was recovered it proved to be a code. It 
was arranged in the form of sentences — some of them 
incomplete — and each one preceded by a number. 
Part of the code read as follows : 

. 0061 1 cease communication with 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 163 

00634 await further instruction 
00631 await favorable opportunity 
00633 agent has started for 
00645 agent will start for 

00657 agent is underways for 

00658 send agent at once 

00659 keep agent back 

00757 it is impossible to stay at 
00815 nothing further is known 

00836 don't send further letter 
00845 further rifles are needed 
00888 give me a new address for 
00899 last wire has not been understood 

00837 communication is again possible. 

April 27 Casement was conveyed to England and 
handed over to Inspector Sandercock, of the Metro- 
politan Police. He was tried for treason in the High 
Court of Justice, London, beginning June 16, 19 16. 
The Lord Chief Justice of England (Viscount Read- 
ing, who, for a time during the war, acted as Am- 
bassador from Great Britain to the United States) 
presided, and associated with him were Mr. Justice 
Avory and Mr. Justice Horridge. The counsel for 
the Crown was the Attorney-General, Sir Frederick 
Smith, assisted by the Solicitor-General and a com- 
petent staff. Mr. A. M. Sullivan, an eminent mem- 
ber of the Irish bar, was counsel for the prisoner, and 
he was assisted, among others, by Michael Francis 
Doyle, of the American bar. 

There are some interesting facts in connection with 
the appearance of Counselor Doyle in connection with 
the defense of the prisoner. Soon after the arrest of 



164 THE WOELD'8 GREATEST SPIES 

Sir Roger Casement some of his friends cabled to 
the American lawyer and retained him in the case. 
One of the purposes of this action was to give the case 
an international aspect, as the prisoner wished to ap- 
peal to the sentiment of the United States where he 
had been a visitor in 1914. The indictment against 
Casement charged him with the commission of crimes 
in Germany and it was necessary for some one to go 
there to develop the defense. As the United States 
was neutral at that time Mr. Doyle was assigned for 
that purpose, but the British authorities would not 
permit witnesses to be brought from Germany to tes- 
tify for the defense. The Government, however, con- 
sented to his appearance as of counsel for the prisoner 
and it is said that he was the first American lawyer 
officially recognized in the British Courts and whose 
appearance was officially recorded. It was through 
the activities of Mr. Doyle that the United States 
Senate adopted the resolution asking for clemency 
on behalf of Sir Roger Casement. 

It was an impressive scene when the King's Coroner, 
in accordance with tradition, arose to read the indict- 
ment. This declared that Sir Roger Casement was 
to be tried under the Treason Act passed in the days 
of Edward III. It charged the prisoner with " traitor- 
ously contriving and intending to aid and assist the 
enemies of our Lord, the King, against our Lord the 
King and his subjects," and said he '* did traitorously 
adhere to and aid and comfort the said enemies in parts 
beyond the sea without this realm of England, to wit, 
in the Empire of Germany." 




Copyright by Brown & Dawson, Stamford, Conn. 

SIR ROGER CASEMENT 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 165 

The prisoner was not the least interesting figure in 
this picturesque setting. There was about him an air 
of dreamy melancholy. He followed the speeches and 
the testimony carefully, and when he spoke it was in 
the manner of a cultivated gentleman who had an un- 
usual knowledge of law and history. Indeed, in spite 
of his quiet demeanor, there was a something about 
him which can best be expressed by the word, mag- 
netism. One writer, Padraic Collum, pictures Sir 
Roger Casement as follows: 

** In appearance he does not conform to any Irish 
type. Tall, bearded, with black hair and remarkable 
dark eyes, with measured and courteous speech, with 
nervous and commanding bearing, he looks one's no- 
tion of a Castilian nobleman. He has the most 
romantic distinction of any man I ever saw. I often 
notice people turn in the Dublin streets to look at 
him. When I think of him now I always see one 
picture. It is a poor, wind-swept bridge in Dublin, 
and it is past midnight. There is only one figure on 
the bridge — a blind beggar woman who has stood 
there all day and is now turning to go home. I am 
coming from a newspaper office and I stop to speak 
to her. Another figure comes up and halts and speaks 
to her. It is Roger Casement. He speaks to her in 
that voice that has such a remarkable quality — a 
voice that sounds to me as if a man were speaking 
so as to make some one in a drawing-room understand 
a profoundly tragic thing. I am sure that if the old 
woman had been able to look on him, she would have 



166 THE AVORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

thought that Casement was the most courtly gentleman 
she had ever seen. 

" We are known to each other, so we talk for a few 
moments. I cannot recall his words, but I know that 
the sight of that town where only the poor moved 
about, and the sight of the gaunt, blind woman made 
him speak of a noble thing impoverished and de- 
graded, Ireland capable of chivalry and splendor, con- 
demned to a shuffling existence — that was his constant 
meditation. I almost believe that the bitter words 
of the Gaelic poet are written on his heart: 

" * Hard it is to see the Arbitress and Thrones 
Wedded to a Saxoneen of cold and sapless bones.' 

" After hearing him talk in 19 13, the writings of 
most publicists seem to me obscure and ill-informed. 
He foretold the most of the combinations in the pres- 
ent war. He knew that war between Germany and 
England would come within a few years. How could 
those who hoped to support Ireland take advantage 
of that struggle? Ireland might be overlooked by 
Germany. Brooding upon this, Casement made a re- 
discovery. The position of Ireland was such that no 
nation, striving to break down the English lordship 
of the seas, could overlook it. It was the position 
of Ireland — the country that is the. link between the 
Scandinavian and the Iberian peninsula, and between 
Europe and America — that gave England control 
of the seas. With Ireland no longer an * island be- 
yond an island,' but a part of Europe, the seas would 
again be free and open. With such an idea, it was 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 167 

only natural that Casement should go to Berlin, and 
it was natural, too, that he should strive to land 
armed forces in Ireland." 

For a man who achieved world prominence in such 
a short time, very little was known of the early his- 
tory of Sir Roger Casement. Curiously enough the 
facts were supplied in the opening address of the At- 
torney-General : 

*' The prisoner was bom in County Dublin on ist 
September in the year 1864. He entered the service 
of the Niger Coast (Oil Rivers) Protectorate on 31st 
July, 1892, at the age of twenty-eight. He was 
appointed three years later, on 27th June, 1895, to be 
Her Majesty's Consul in the Portuguese Province of 
Lourenco Marques, with a residence at Lourenco 
Marques. He continued in this employment for three 
years, and on 29th July, 1898, he became Consul for 
the Portuguese Possessions in West Africa, south of 
the Gulf of Guinea. He was employed on special 
service at Cape Town during the war in South Africa, 
from 1899 to 1900; and he received, when the hostili- 
ties ended, the Queen's South African medal. On 
20th August, 1900, he was transferred to Kinchassa, in 
the Congo State; and he was appointed, in addition, 
on 6th August, 1901, to be Consul for part of the 
French Congo Colony. From 31st December, 1904, 
he was seconded for one year; and afterwards for six 
months from 31st December, 1905. On 30th June, 
1905, he was made a C M. G., a recognition of his 
public services which he did not disdain. He was 
appointed Consul for the States of San Paulo and 



168 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

Parana, with a residence at Santos, on 13th August, 
1906. On 2nd December, 1907, he was transferred 
to Para; and on the ist December, 1908, he was 
promoted to be Consul-General at Rio de Janeiro. On 
20th June, 191 1, he was made a knight. In 191 1, the 
same year, he received the Coronation medal. The 
State of Goyaz was added to the district of the Con- 
sul-General at Rio de Janeiro ; and a new commission 
was issued to him on 2nd December, 19 12. From 
1909 to 191 2 he was employed, while titular Consul- 
General at Rio de Janeiro, in making certain inquiries 
relative to the rubber industry. On ist August, 19 13, 
after a considerable career of public usefulness, he 
was retired on a pension." 

The first move of the Attorney-General was to 
prove by documents and oral testimony that Sir Roger 
Casement had been in Germany in 19 14. In Decem- 
ber of that year prisoners of war belonging to various 
Irish regiments were removed from the different camps 
in which they were then imprisoned, and were collected 
into a large camp at Limburg Lahn. It was claimed 
that this was being done for a purpose. 

And so it seemed, for when the stage had been fully 
set, Sir Roger Casement suddenly appeared on the 
scene. 

Why was he there? What did he do? Let the 
answer to these questions be given in the words of 
the Attorney-General in his opening speech for the 
prosecution. Says Sir Frederick Smith : 

"He introduced himself to them — such was the 
tenor of his address on more than one occasion — * 



SIR EOGER CASEMENT 169 

as Sir Roger Casement, the organizer of the ' Irish 
Volunteers.' He stated that he was forming an Irish 
Brigade, and he invited all the Irish prisoners of war 
to join it. He pointed out repeatedly, and with em- 
phasis, that in his opinion everything was to be gained 
for Ireland by Germany winning the war; and that 
the Irish soldiers who were listening to his address 
had the best opportunity they had ever had of striking 
a blow for Ireland by entering the service of the 
enemies of this country. He said that those who 
joined the Irish Brigade would be sent to Berlin ; they 
would become the guests of the German Government; 
and in the event of Germany winning a sea battle he 
(the speaker) would land a brigade in Ireland to de- 
fend the country against the enemy England. And 
that in the event of Germany losing the war either 
he or the Imperial German Government would give 
each man in the brigade a bonus of from £io to £20, 
with a free passage to America. 

" Such were the temptations unfolded to his simple 
listeners by the man who reconciled it with his duty 
to address such persuasions to men in the straits, the 
bewilderment, and perhaps the despair in which these 
prisoners then were. Gentlemen, to the honor of 
Ireland, let it be recorded that the vast majority of the 
Irish prisoners treated the rhetoric, and the persua- 
sions, and the corruptness of the prisoner with con- 
tempt. He was received with hisses, and was on at 
least one occasion driven from the camp. The Mun- 
ster Fusileers were particularly prominent in their loyal 
resentment of the treacherous proposals made to them. 



170 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

One private in that regiment actually struck, so it is 
recorded, the prisoner, who was saved from further 
violence by the intervention of an escort of Prussian 
Guards, who had been assigned to him for his pro- 
tection by a nation which thinks of everything." 

The prosecution had six or seven soldiers as wit- 
nesses, men who had been prisoners at the Limburg 
Lahn camp. They testified to the facts recited in the 
indictment and in the speech of the Attorney-General ; 
also they identified a copy of a leaflet which had been 
widely distributed in the camp and which read as 
follows : 

IRISHMEN! 

Here is a chance for you to fight for Ireland ! 

You have fought for England, your country's 
hereditary enemy. 

You have fought for Belgium, in England's inter- 
est, though it was no more to you than the Fiji 
Islands. 

Are you willing to fight for your own country? 

With a view to securing the National Freedom of 
Ireland, with the moral and material assistance of the 
German Government, an Irish Brigade is being formed. 

The object of the Irish Brigade shall be to fight 
solely for the cause of Ireland, and under no circum- 
stances shall it be directed to any German end. 

The Irish Brigade shall be formed and shall fight 
under the Irish flag alone ; the men shall wear a spe- 
cial, distinctively Irish uniform and have Irish offi- 
cers, c; 

The Irish Brigade shall be clothed, fed, and effi- 
ciently equipped with arms and ammunition by the 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 171 

German Government. It will be stationed near Ber- 
lin, and be treated as guests of the German Govern- 
ment. 

At the end of the war the German Government un- 
dertakes to send each member of the Brigade, who may 
so desire it, to the United States of America, with 
necessary means to land. The Irishmen in America 
are collecting money for the Brigade. Those men who 
do not join the Brigade will be removed from Limburg 
and distributed among other camps. 

If interested, see your company commanders. 

Join the Irish Brigade and win Ireland's independ- 
ence! 

Remember Bachelor's Walk ! 
God Save Ireland! 

There is no need to go into all of the details of the 
trial. There was an agreement upon the main facts 
of the case. At one point Sir Roger Casement arose 
to contradict the statement of certain witnesses who 
claimed that he was responsible for reducing the ra- 
tions of those soldiers who had refused to join the 
Irish Brigade. He declared the assertion to be an 
abominable falsehood. He also emphatically denied 
that he had ever asked any Irishman to fight for Ger- 
many. " Finally," he concluded, " I resent the im- 
putation of German gold. From the first moment 
I landed on the Continent until I came home again 
to Ireland, I never asked for nor accepted a single 
penny of foreign money, neither for myself, nor for 
any Irish cause, nor for any purpose whatsoever; but 
only the money of Irishmen. Money was offered to 
me in Germany more than once, and oflfered liberally 



172 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

and unconditionally, but I rejected every suggestion 
of the kind and I left Germany a poorer man than I 
entered." 

The prosecution introduced a letter which Sir Roger 
Casement had written to Sir Edward Gray, thanking 
him for his graciousness in recommending him for 
knighthood, and referred at various times to his pen- 
sion. The prisoner retorted that he had earned the 
pension by service rendered and it was assigned by 
law, and that the knighthood was not in his power 
to refuse. 

The accused was ably defended by Counselor Sulli- 
van. His contention was that the court did not have 
jurisdiction because the indictment charged him with 
an offense unknown to the law. The ancient statute 
under which he was being tried referred to those who 
were guilty of " adhering to the King's enemies within 
his realm." He made a long and brilliant argument 
on this point in an endeavor to have the indictment 
quashed, but without avail. After all the evidence 
was in, Counselor Sullivan made another powerful 
speech for the prisoner. He admitted that Sir Roger 
Casement had been in Germany and had asked soldiers 
to join the Irish Brigade, but he defied any human 
being to say that the prisoner had ever asked any 
Irishman to fight for Germany. He justified Case- 
ment's activities in desiring to form such a Brigade to 
fight for Ireland by pointing out that men high in the 
English Government had publicly declared their in- 
tention of fighting the Home Rule bill — then recently 
enacted by Parliament — by force. If Sir Roger 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 173 

Casement was guilty of treason, so were these high 
officials. 

The Attorney-General in the closing speech for the 
Crown, and the Lord Chief Justice, in his summing 
up, both declined to accept the justification pleaded 
by the counsel for the prisoner. The case went to 
the jury on June 29, 1916. It was 2.53 in the after- 
noon when they retired for deliberation. Twice they 
sent for documents in the case, and at 3.48 they re- 
turned with the announcement that they had agreed 
upon a verdict. 

** What is your decision?" asked the King's 
Coroner. 

All eyes were on the foreman of the jury. He 
cleared his throat and replied: 

'' We find Sir Roger Casement guilty of high trea- 
son, and that is the verdict of all of us.'' 

The prisoner seemed to be the least moved of any 
one in the room. His eyes moved restlessly and his 
face was animated as he waited for the formalities 
to be concluded. He was asked if he had anything 
to say why the court should not pass sentence of death 
upon him. 

His reply was calm, impressive and couched in the 
language of a cultured man. He began by protesting 
against the jurisdiction of the court. He objected to 
the application of an English statute 565 years old 
against him. In those days, he said, the " heretic *' 
met with the same doom as the *' traitor." He in- 
sisted that he was being tried not by his peers of the 
live present but by the peers of the dead past. Loy- 



174 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

alty was a sentiment and not a law. It rested on love, 
not on restraint. " The Government of Ireland by 
England," he said, " rests on restraint and since it 
demands no love it can evoke no loyalty." " But the 
statute," he continued, was even more absurd than it 
was antiquated and if it was potent to hang one Irish- 
man it was still more potent to gibbet all English- 
men. He claimed that if he had done wrong in ap- 
pealing to Irishmen to fight for Ireland, it was by 
Irishmen, and by them alone, that he could be right- 
fully judged. 

" Place me before a jury of my own countrymen," 
he cried, " be it Protestant or Catholic, Unionist or 
Nationalist, Sinn Feineach or Orangemen, and I shall 
accept the verdict and bow to the statute and all its 
penalties." 

After asserting that lawlessness sat in high places 
in England and laughed at the law, he told of his 
visit to the United States to obtain money to secure 
arms for the Volunteers of Ireland to defend the 
Home Rule law. Then he sketched the events which 
followed and thus concluded his really remarkable 
address : 

*' Then came the war. As Mr. Birrell said in his 
evidence recently laid before the Commission of In- 
quiry into the causes of the late rebellion in Ireland, 
' the war upset all our calculations.' It upset mine no 
less than Mr. Birrell's, and put an end to my mission 
of peaceful effort in America. War between Great 
Britain and Germany meant, as I believed, ruin for all 
the hopes we had founded on the enrollment of the 



SIE EOGER CASEMENT 175 

Irish Volunteers. A constitutional movement in Ire- 
land is never very far from a breach of the constitu- 
tion, as the Loyalists of Ulster have been so eager to 
show us. The cause is not far to seek. A constitu- 
tion to be maintained intact must be the achievement 
and the pride of the people themselves; must rest on 
their own free will and on their own determination 
to sustain it, instead of being something resident in 
another land whose chief representative is an armed 
force — armed not to protect the population, but to 
hold it down. We had seen the working of the Irish 
constitution in the refusal of the army of occupation 
at the Curragh to obey the orders of the Crown. And 
now that we were told the first duty of an Irishman 
was to enter that army, in return for a promissory 
note, payable after death — a scrap of paper that 
might or might not be redeemed, I felt over there in 
America that my iirst duty was to keep Irishmen at 
home in the only army that could safeguard our na- 
tional existence. 

"If small nationalities were to be the pawns in this 
game of embattled giants, I saw no reason why Ire- 
land should shed her blood in any cause but her own, 
and if that be treason beyond the seas I am not 
ashamed to avow it or to answer for it here with my 
life. And when we had the doctrine of Unionist 
loyalty at last — * Mausers and Kaisers and any king 
you like,' and I have heard that at Hamburg, not 
far from Limburg on the Lahn — I felt I needed no 
other warrant than that these words conveyed — to 
go forth and do likewise. The difference between us 



176 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

was that the Unionist champions chose a path they 
felt would lead to the woolsack; while I went a road 
I knew must lead to the dock. And the event proves 
we were both right. The difference between us was 
my ' treason ' was based on a ruthless sincerity that 
forced me to attempt in time and season to carry out 
in action what I said in word — whereas their treason 
lay in verbal indictments that they knew need never be 
made good in their bodies. And so, I am prouder to 
stand here to-day in the traitor's dock to answer this 
impeachment than to fill the place of my right honor- 
able accusers. 

" We have been told, we have been asked to hope, 
that after this war, Ireland will get Home Rule, as a 
reward for the life blood shed in a cause which who- 
ever else its success may benefit can surely not benefit 
Ireland. And what will Home Rule be in return 
for what its vague promise has taken and still hopes to 
take away from Ireland? It is not necessary to 
climb the painful stairs of Irish history — that tread- 
mill of a nation whose labors are as vain for her 
own uplifting as the convict's exertions are for his 
redemption — to review the long list of British prom- 
ises made only to be broken — of Irish hopes raised 
only to be dashed to the ground. Home Rule when it 
comes, if come it does, will find an Ireland drained 
of all that is vital to its very existence — unless it be 
that unquenchable hope we build on the graves of the 
dead. 

" We are told that if Irishmen go by the thou- 
sand to die, not for Ireland, but for Flanders, for 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 177 

Belgium, for a patch of sand on the deserts of Mesopo- 
tamia, or a rocky trench on the heights of Gallipoli, 
they are winning self-government for Ireland. But 
if they dare to lay down their lives on their native 
soil, if they dare to dream even that freedom can be 
won only at home by men resolved to fight for it there, 
then they are traitors to their country, and their dream 
and their deaths alike are phases of a dishonorable 
phantasy. But history is not so recorded in other 
lands. In Ireland alone in this twentieth century is 
loyalty held to be a crime. If loyalty be something 
less than love and more than law, then we have had 
enough of such loyalty for Ireland or Irishmen. If 
we are to be indicted as criminals, to be shot as mur- 
derers, to be imprisoned as convicts because our offense 
is that we love Ireland more than we value our lives, 
then I know not what virtue resides in any offer of 
self-government held out to brave men on such terms. 
" Self-government is our rigfit, a thing born in us at 
birth ; a thing no more to be doled out to us or with- 
held from us by another people than the right to life 
itself — than the right to feel the sun or smell the 
flowers, or to love our kind. It is only from the 
convict these things are withheld for crime committed 
and proven — and Ireland that has wronged no man, 
that has injured no land, that has sought no dominion 
over others — Ireland is treated to-day among the na- 
tions of the world as if she was a convicted criminal. 
If it be treason to fight against such an unnatural fate 
as this, then I am proud to be a rebel and shall cling 
to my ' rebellion ' with the last drop of my blood. 



178 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

If there be no right of rebellion against a state of 
things that no savage tribe would endure without re- 
sistance, then I am sure that it is better for men to 
fight and die without right than to live in such a state 
of right as this. Where all your rights become only 
an accumulated wrong; where men must beg with 
bated breath for leave to subsist in their own land, to 
think their own thoughts, to sing their own songs, to 
garner the fruits of their own labors — and even while 
they beg, to see things inexorably withdrawn from 
them — then surely it is braver, a saner and a truer 
thing, to be a rebel in act and deed against such cir- 
cumstances as these than tamely to accept it as the 
natural lot of men. 

" My lord, I have done. Gentlemen of the jury, I 
wish to thank you for your verdict. I hope you will 
not take amiss what I have said, or think that I made 
any imputation upon your truthfulness or your in- 
tegrity when I spoke and said that this was not a trial 
by my peers. I maintain that I have a natural right 
to be tried in that natural jurisdiction, Ireland, my 
own country, and I would put it to you, how would 
you feel in the converse case, or rather how would 
all men here feel in the converse case, if an English- 
man had landed here in England and the Crown or 
the Government, for its own purposes, had conveyed 
him secretly from England to Ireland under a false 
name, committed him to prison under a false name, 
and brought him before a tribunal in Ireland under 
a statute which they knew involved a trial before an 
Irish jury? How would you feel yourselves as Eng- 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 179 

lishmen if that man was to be submitted to trial by 
jury in a land inflamed against him and believing him 
to be a criminal, when his only crime was that he had 
cared for England more than for Ireland ? " 

After the prisoner had concluded, the Lord Chief 
Justice arose and said solemnly: 

" Sir Roger David Casement, you have been found 
guilty of treason, the gravest crime known to the law, 
and upon evidence which in our opinion is conclusive 
of guilt. Your crime was that of assisting the King's 
enemies, that is the Empire of Germany, during the 
terrible war in which we are engaged. The duty now 
devolves upon me of passing sentence upon you, and 
it is that you be taken hence to a lawful prison, and 
thence to a place of execution, and that you be there 
hanged by the neck until you be dead. And the 
Sheriffs of the Counties of London and Middlesex 
are, and each of them is, hereby charged with the 
execution of this judgment, and may the Lord have 
mercy on your soul." 

The newspaper views of the mad adventure of 
Sir Roger Casement differ quite as sharply as those 
of individuals, and it might be well, at this point, to 
quote the comments of three leading newspapers in 
different parts of the world. The New York World, 
for instance, takes the British Government sharply to 
task for condoning in others that which it was com- 
pelled to condemn in Sir Roger Casement. It suggests 
ironically that the Government might take Casement 
into the Coalition Cabinet, doing for him that which 
it had already done for Sir Edward Carson, and adds : 



180 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

" Carson openly preached sedition and organized 
his followers for civil war. Under his leadership they 
took an oath to offer armed resistance to the Govern- 
ment. They were drilled and supplied with arms se- 
cretly shipped into Ireland, and the loyalty of officers 
of Irish regiments was tampered with. By way of re- 
ward a few months later an official place was created 
in the British Cabinet for the inciter of rebellion in 
Ulster. Casement was as sincere as Carson in his in- 
tention to make trouble in Ireland and hardly less 
loyal to Britain; but at the first opportunity the Gov- 
ernment lays violent hands on him and places him on 
trial for high treason. 

" The promotion of Sir Edward Carson to the 
Cabinet has been the great obstacle to quiet and order 
in Ireland during the war. It hampered John Red- 
mond and the Irish Nationalists in their efforts to 
control their Irish supporters. It acted as a check on 
recruiting in Ireland. The Irish Nationalist volun- 
teers went to the aid of the troops in putting down the 
riots in Dublin, but they had been unwilling to enhst 
in the army because they had seen in Carson's entrance 
into the Cabinet a threat against Home Rule. In the 
circumstances, what excuse has the Government for 
making fish of Carson and flesh of Casement? '* 

On the other hand, the official London weekly, the 
Spectator, says: 

*' What excuse can be alleged for his treason? We 
may honor a man (even though it may be necessary to 
deal sternly with him) who has always refused to rec- 
ognize the authority of Parliament, and who would 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 181 

rather cut off his right hand than serve the Govern- 
ment of the United Kingdom in any shape or form. 
With such men we know where we are, but what are 
we to say of Sir Roger Casement? He was a consular 
official; he took a pension and title from the British 
Government and then, when war came, he took service 
with the enemies of his country. Clarke, Pearse and 
McDonough were ten times better men than he. 

"Of course neither we nor anybody else want to 
shoot a lunatic, and if true lunacy is declared by com- 
petent experts in Sir Roger Casement's case, even if he 
is guilty, he will not be shot, but by lunacy we do 
not mean eccentricity of conduct. Again, a man can- 
not found a plea of lunacy on the heinousness of his 
crimes. He cannot be excused from the consequences 
of his acts on the ground that nobody could have be- 
haved so badly without being mad. We are not alien- 
ists, and therefore, of course, cannot express any opin- 
ion on the medical side of Sir Roger Casement's case. 
All we or any one else can say at the moment is that if 
his mental state justifies it, he must take the conse- 
quences of his acts." 

Midway between these two views, we find an expres- 
sion of opinion from the New Statesman of London, 
which insisted that the execution of Sir Roger would 
be an act of imbecile stupidity. It says: 

" Sir Roger Casement is a strikingly romantic, and 
in many ways, a noble figure. His wits may, in a 
measure, be deficient, but his patriotism, his courage, 
his high personal character, and his disinterested de- 
votion to what he conceived to be his duty, are quite 



182 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

beyond question. He is just of the stuff of which 
saints and their legions are made of. If he were to 
be executed as a traitor, as the stern Mr. Pemberton 
Bilhng demands, nothing could prevent his being can- 
onized as one of Ireland's patriot martyrs. For the 
moment the ludicrous melodrama of the landing on the 
west coast might keep his name out of the calendar, 
but the laughter can only last while he lives. Alive, 
he is a harmless Don Quixote but, on the whole (e. g., 
by the convincing failure of his efforts to raise an 
Irish regiment for service in the German Army) has 
probably done -the British cause more good than harm. 
Dead — he would be a saint and a new Irish grievance 
worth, perhaps, thousands of recruits to Sinn Fein." 

The sentence was appealed in the Court of Crimi- 
nal Appeal, London, on July 17, 19 16. Mr. Sullivan 
made an impressive address in favor of his client, but 
the judgment of the High Court was sustained. 

Many Englishmen, whose loyalty cannot be ques- 
tioned, doubted the wisdom of inflicting the death 
penalty on this strange man. One of them was Sir 
Arthur Conan Doyle, the author. He drew up a pe- 
tition which was addressed to the Prime Minister, Mr. 
Asquith. This paper gave the following reasons why 
the extreme sentence of the law should not be inflicted : 

" ( I ) We would call attention to the violent change 
which appears to have taken place in the prisoners 
previous sentiments towards Great Britain (as shown, 
for example, in his letter to the King at the time of his 
knighthood) from those which he has exhibited dur- 
ing the war. Without going so far as to urge com- 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 183 

plete mental irresponsibility, we should desire to point 
out that the prisoner had for many years been exposed 
to severe strain during his honorable career of public 
service, that he had endured several tropical fevers, and 
that he had experienced the worry of two investiga- 
tions which were of a peculiarly nerve-trying charac- 
ter. For these reasons it appears to us that some al- 
lowance may be made in his case for an abnormal 
physical and mental state. 

" (2) We would urge that his execution would be 
helpful to German policy, by accentuating the differ- 
ences between us and some of our fellow subjects in 
Ireland. It would be used, however unjustly, as a 
weapon against us in the United States and other neu- 
tral countries. On the other hand, magnanimity upon 
the part of the British Government would soothe the 
bitter feelings in Ireland, and make a most favorable 
impression throughout the Empire and abroad. 

" (3) We would respectfully remind you of the 
object lesson afforded by the United States at the con- 
clusion of their Civil War. The leaders of the South 
were entirely in the power of the North. Many of 
them were officers and officials who had sworn alle- 
giance to the laws of the United States and had after- 
wards taken up arms and inflicted enormous losses 
upon her. None the less not one of these men was 
executed, and this policy of mercy was attended by 
such happy results that a breach which seemed to be 
irreparable has now been happily healed over. 

" Being ourselves deeply convinced of the wisdom 
of such a policy, we feel constrained to approach you 



184 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

with this petition, hoping that you may find yourself 
in agreement with the considerations which we ad- 
vance." 

This paper was not only remarkable in itself but also 
for the high character and prominence of the signers. 
They included : 

Sir T. Clifford Allbutt, K.C.B., Regius Professor of 
Physics at the University of Cambridge. 

William Archer. 

Sir Thomas Barlow, Bart, K.C.V.O., President of 
the Royal College of Physicians, London. 

Harold Begbie. 

Arnold Bennett. 

Robert Blatchford. 

Muirhead Bone. 

Hall Caine. 

The Rev. R. J. Campbell. 

G. K. Chesterton. 

The Rev. John Clifford. 

Edward Clodd. 

William Crooks. 

Sir Francis Darwin (2 and 3). 

W. Boyd Dawkins. 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 

John Drinkwater. 

Sir James G. Frazer. 

The Right Hon. Sir Edward Fry, G.C.B. 

John Galsworthy. 

A. G. Gardiner. 

Alice B. Gomme. 

G. P. Gooch. 

Maurice Hewlett. 

Silas K. Hocking. 

The Rev. Robert F. Horton. 



SIR ROGER CASEMENT 185 

Jerome K. Jerome. 

John Masefield. 

H. W. Massingham. 

Sir William Robertson Nicoll. 

Sir Sydney Oliver. 

The Rev. Thomas Phillips, President of the Baptist 

Union. 
G. P. Scott, Editor, The Manchester Guardian. 
Clement Shorter. 
Ben Tillett. 
Beatrice Webb. 
Sidney Webb. 

The Right Rev. the Bishop of Winchester. 
Israel Zangwill. 

But the Prime Minister declined to interfere with 
the action of the Court, and the date of the execution 
was formally fixed. His English friends hoped for 
clemency until the last, but they were doomed to dis- 
appointment. The prisoner personally made no at- 
tempt to avoid his fate, and it is scarcely an exaggera- 
tion to say that he welcomed the chance to die for what 
he conceived to be a cause. 

After the trial Sir Roger Casement was " de- 
knighted '' by the Government, and he went to his 
death without the title which, under the circumstances, 
was probably not a matter of great importance to him. 

He was executed in the Pentonville jail on August 3, 
1916, and one who was present on that occasion testi- 
fied that he ascended the scaffold " with the calm cour- 
age and inflexible bearing of a martyr." The prison 
bell tolled solemnly at that last moment, but above it 
could be heard the prisoner's voice calling out " Into 



186 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit!" Ac- 
cording to one of his attendants, the last words of 
Roger Casement were : " I die for my country." 

His relatives and friends claimed his body, but their 
request was refused by the authorities, who interred it 
in a narrow grave in the prison yard. There it rested, 
at last accounts, with a plain headboard containing 
the roughly cut initials " R. C," and the date, " August 
3. 1916." 



VIII 
THE MYSTERY OF THE TURKISH BEAUTY 



VIII 
THE MYSTERY OF THE TURKISH BEAUTY 

WAS Despina Davidovitch Storch, the beautiful 
Turkish woman who led a curious existence 
in New York City, a spy of the Sultan, or 
was she the innocent victim of the espionage laws of 
the United States of America? 

That is a question which will probably never be an- 
swered in a definite manner. Not that it is impossible 
to answer, but rather because there are so many in- 
terests involved and so many innocent persons con- 
cerned that a positive and explicit statement would fail 
to further the ends of justice. 

For many months the representatives of the Depart- 
ment of Justice were on the trail of Madame Storch. 
They had reports concerning her movements from 
five great capitals, and the curious part of it lay in 
the fact that she appeared in each of these cities wnder 
a different name. In Paris, for instance, she was 
known as Madame Nezie; in Madrid and London as 
Madame Hesketh; in Rome as Madame Davidovitch; 
at the Biltmore, in New York, as Madame Despina, 
and at the Shoreham, in Washington, as the Baroness 
de Bellville. 

Surely we have here the foundation of a mystery 
story of surpassing interest. When we add to the 

189 



190 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

secrecy of her movements the further facts that she 
was born in Constantinople, that she was strikingly 
beautiful, that she was married to a Frenchman, Paul 
Storch, at the age of seventeen; that they were di- 
vorced and that he was fighting in the French Army 
at the moment she was suspected of aiding the enemies 
of France, it is not too much to say that we have here 
a real-life romance more absorbing than anything 
dared by the writer of fiction. 

Madame Storch was in Spain at the time the war 
began in the company of a gentleman who shall be 
known simply as the Baron. She attracted attention 
there, as she did elsewhere, by reason of her uncom- 
mon beauty and her lavish expenditure of money. 
Officers of the Army and the Navy, and even the am- 
bassadors of the countries at war were on her visiting 
list. They vied with one another in paying attention 
to this young woman — she was only twenty-three — 
who had the mere suggestion of a Turkish nose, but 
otherwise, as one man has put it, with features that 
complied with " Occidental standards of symmetry." 

The Turkish beauty and the Baron were seen in the 
company of German agents while they were in Spain. 
The French police heard of this and as a consequence 
the couple hurriedly left Madrid. They remained in 
Havana for a time, and then journeyed to New York. 
In that city a curious quartette was placed under sus- 
picion by the Department of Justice. It consisted of 
Madame Storch, the Baron, a French count, and a little 
German woman, a middle-aged widow who had two 
children at school in this country. One of the things 



THE TURKISH BEAUTY 191 

ascertained by the secret police was that Madame 
Storch had no visible means of support, and that she 
always had an abundant supply of money, and always 
paid her bills promptly. Also — and this was con- 
sidered important — her companion, the German 
woman, was known to have received $3000 from Count 
Bernstorff as '* a loan." 

It was a significant fact that the beautiful Turkish 
woman always stopped at the best hotels. Thus, ac- 
cording to the agents of the Department of Justice, she 
had registered at the Savoy in London, the Palace in 
Lisbon, the dAlba in Madrid, and the Biltmore in New 
York. Few persons had a wider acquaintanceship, 
and we are told that British army officers attended the 
" little parties " in her suite at the Savoy in London. 
Her special penchant, as one writer puts it, " was for 
diplomats and men in uniform — officers from many 
nations who constantly streamed through her quarters 
at the Biltmore in New York, and other hotels in 
whose ballrooms she was well known." The investi- 
gators in this country learned that she had a safe de- 
posit box in one of the banks in New York, and when 
this was seized it was found to contain a great quan- 
tity of documents, including correspondence, plain and 
in code, that was said to have come from notable per- 
sons in all parts of the world. 

Madame Storch seemed to lead a butterfly exist- 
ence in this country. She was seen at many social 
affairs, and as she danced well and spoke French de- 
lightfully, she was not lacking in admirers. The fact 
that some of those who enjoyed her hospitality were 



192 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

connected with affairs of State gave her an additional 
importance. It was remarked that the Baron, who 
has already been mentioned, was a frequent caller. 
He usually came in the evening, and then there were 
long and serious talks. About this time she became 
aware of the fact that she was under official scrutiny. 
One day she had her trunks sent to a steamship bound 
for Panama, but a Government agent intercepted them 
and sent them back to the hotel. 

Truly the plot was thickening, but up to this time 
no actual charges had been made against Madame 
Storch. She was in the unpleasant position of being 
" under suspicion." Late in February, 1918, she ob- 
tained a French passport to go to Cuba by way of Key 
West. A companion obtained a passport at the same 
time. The Department of Justice was fully informed 
of all her movements, but there was no disposition to 
take any action until more was known of the woman 
and her associates and activities. But it was decided 
that she should not be permitted to leave this country 
— or, at least, not to get beyond the control of the au- 
thorities. She went to Washington and remained 
there for two days, and all the time the investigator 
was at her heels. After that she went to Key West, 
and at this point she was taken into custody. She 
was brought to New York and quartered in a hotel 
there with a companion pending a decision from Wash- 
ington. 

An official of the Department of Justice said at the 
time that Madame Storch had been living in New York 
at the rate of $1000 a month. She gave various ex- 




Photograph from Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 

MADAME DESPINA STORCH 



THE TURKISH BEAUTY 193 

planations of her income, but none of them were satis- 
factory to the authorities. While in this country she 
received one payment of $3000 from an official of a 
foreign government. From the same source she had 
received three $1000 remittances, which she said were 
advances or loans from friends. The baron in the 
case was the son of parents whose loyalty to France 
was unquestioned. They were naturally disturbed at 
the notoriety achieved by their son, and insisted that 
he was in no way involved in anything that might 
have the shadow of disloyalty. Any suspicion which 
might have been aroused came from his devotion to 
Madame Storch. The United States Government ac- 
cepted this explanation. The count concerned was a 
friend of the young clerk who, as the Marquis di Cas- 
tillo, passed as a chum of King Alfonzo, of Spain, and 
on the strength of this connection tried to borrow 
$50,000,000 from J. P. Morgan & Co. 

The German woman who completed the quartette 
first told the investigators that she made one hundred 
dollars a week as a dressmaker, but as she could not 
produce a list of her customers, her explanation was 
not accepted by the Government. She finally ad- 
mitted that she had been in correspondence with a 
young officer of the British Flying Corps. There does 
not seem to have been any doubt but that one or more 
of the quartette had been in communication with Amer- 
icans as well as others in foreign countries, but no 
specific charges of this nature were made against them. 

Finally it was decided that all four should be in- 
terned and then deported under the head of '*unde- 



194 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

sirables." It was stated at the time that if they were 
sent to France they would be dealt with by the French 
authorities. Telegrams were sent to Washington, and 
it was announced that the case was so important that 
it would have the attention of A. Bruce Bielaski, Chief 
of the Bureau of Investigation of the Department of 
Justice, and John Lord O'Brien, of the office of the 
Attorney General. An effort was made to induce 
Madame Storch to make a frank statement, but she 
parried all of the questions that were put to her by the 
authorities. But there was a feeling that she would 
weaken in the end and that there would be important 
revelations. In Government circles it was whispered 
that the secrets of the German spy ring might be dis- 
closed at any moment. One anxious day followed an- 
other, and just when it was thought that the lips of the 
beautiful Turkish subject were to be opened there came 
a totally unexpected denouement. 

Madame Storch died suddenly at daylight in her 
headquarters at Ellis Island where she was being held 
pending action that would have sent her to France, 
possibly to face a firing squad. 

It was the dramatic close to a puzzling case. 
Madame Storch said more than once that she would 
never return to France, and the dark-eyed little woman 
who was called a " modern Cleopatra " was as good 
as her word. She was not the first suspect who had 
died when it was supposed important revelations were 
to be made. It was said at the time that death, ap- 
parently natural, yet stunning in its swiftness, seemed 
to be the fate of the mysterious ones who might have 



THE TURKISH BEAUTY 195 

told the innermost secrets of the Kaiser's secret serv- 
ice system in America. 

Curiously enough, the three persons who were as- 
sociated with her. and who had also been taken into 
custody as " undesirable " subjects, were also taken 
ill at the same time. They did not die, but when the 
breath left the body of Madame Storch, the officials ot 
the United States Government gave up all hope ot 
learning the truth concerning her mission in this coun- 
try Her funeral was delayed, and the body lay in 
the morgue at Ellis Island for some days in the hope 
that some additional facts might be ascertained, but 

all to no avail. j ^u ^ 

Officials of the Government frankly admitted that 
death was from natural causes. They said there was 
no ground whatever for the suspicion of suicide — a 
suspicion that might have been natural under the cir- 
cumstances. From the time of her arrest her physical 
condition gradually weakened under the emotional 
strain that overcame her when she realized the serious- 
ness of her predicament. Her coolness in parrying 
questions fell away, she became subjected, downcast 
and morbidly gloomy. This downheartedness ob- 
sessed her from the time she was trapped into confes- 
sion that she was at one time known as Madame Hes- 
keth and was on intimate terms with the German secret 
service. She contracted a cold after a crying spell 
one night, and a few days after pneumonia set m. It 
was not a serious case, but in her despondency she 
probably welcomed death and made no effort to win 
back health and life. 



196 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

The funeral of this strange woman took place in 
New York on April i, 1918. The ceremony has been 
described vividly in the New York Sun of the follow- 
ing day. From that account the following extract is 
taken : 

" An exquisitely carved white coffin containing the 
body of Madame Despina Davidovitch Storch, the most 
romantic spy suspect America has yet known, was 
placed in a vault on the east slope of Mount Olivet 
Cemetery, Maspeth, Queens, yesterday afternoon. 
Thus was drawn the curtain on a life which in twenty- 
three years knew more diplomatic intrigue than even 
the popular fiction spy heroine is given by Oppenheim 
and others. 

" The burial was simpler than those of people who 
never reached the prominence of the Beautiful Turk. 
Only one limousine rolled up to the vault after the 
hearse. It contained the grief -stricken Baron, his 
parents and a secret service man, who accompanied 
the French nobleman from Ellis Island. 

" The five knelt on the soft earth about the grave, 
and James F. Fallon, the undertaker, said a short 
prayer. The Baron, whose infatuation for the Turk- 
ish spy suspect entangled him in the web of her in- 
trigues, wept silently and cast a last look upon the 
vault as he was led back to the car. 

" The funeral services were held behind locked 
doors. It had been requested that she be buried from 
the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, 310 
West Fifty-fourth Street, but the pastor of that con- 
gregation refused to officiate unless it were proved the 



THE TURKISH BEAUTY 197 

dead Turkish woman had at some time in her life been 
a worshiper in the Greek faith. The Baron could offer 
no such evidence, and so Undertaker Fallon secured 
the Reverend Robert R. White, pastor of the Faith 
Presbyterian Church of West Forty-eighth Street, to 
offer prayer in the funeral parlors, 14 East Thirty- 
ninth Street, before the body was removed to the 
cemetery. 

** The Baron, accompanied by a secret service man, 
drove up to the Fallon place at noon, and met his 
aged parents there. They embraced and mother and 
son wept a little. The young Frenchman bore a plaque 
of roses and some lilies which he tenderly placed in the 
folded arms of the dead woman, and then knelt by the 
casket, praying, for two hours. His parents sat close 
by. 

" He murmured over and over again, and some say 
the words were ' Forgive me,' and others, ' Cherie, 
Cherie/ and like French words of endearment. 

" A morbidly inquisitive crowd circled the doorway 
of the funeral church an hour before the scheduled 
time for the services. They lined the sidewalk six 
deep in front of the Hotel Touraine, opposite the 
Fallon place. They climbed on trucks and pushed 
around the hearse; many lined the windows of the 
lofty buildings across the street. None was allowed 
to enter the funeral parlors, which were guarded by a 
secret service man. 

" A little after two o'clock the white casket, carried 
by two undertakers, came out of the building. The 
chatter of the crowd hushed, and all that stirred the 



198 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

quiet was the music of * The Girl I Left Behind Me ' 
which echoed into the street, as the subway band, on 
an army truck, passed by." 

Thus ended one of the most mysterious and roman- 
tic stories of the war. It is an unfinished story, and 
that fact only adds to its human interest. In consider- 
ing the case it must be remembered that no criminal 
charge was brought against her. She was never even 
brought before a United States Commissioner, al- 
though the United States District Attorney was wait- 
ing to handle the case should the Washington authori- 
ties decide to try her in this country. In telling her 
story, so far as it is known, there has been an earnest 
effort not to do injustice to her memory, or to reflect 
upon those who were associated with her in her last 
days. For that reason, all names have been omitted. 
It is certain that the titled Frenchman, who adored 
her, was guiltless of any wrongdoing so far as his 
own country and the United States are concerned, 
and it is not the province of the writer to pass judg- 
ment on either Madame Storch or her associates. She 
died in her youth, far from the land of her birth, a 
mysterious " undesirable." 

But what a plot might be woven from the facts that 
have been made known through the investigations of 
the secret police of the United States! The details 
cover all of the essentials of a story of love, romance, 
diplomacy and adventure. They are at the disposal of 
any budding novelist or ambitious dramatist who may 
have the desire to win fame and fortune with the pen. 



IX 



THE ROMANTIC LIFE OF THE DUTCH- 
JAVANESE DANCER WHO WAS 
SHOT AS A SPY 



IX 

THE ROMANTIC LIFE OF THE DUTCH- 
JAVANESE DANCER WHO WAS 
SHOT AS A SPY 

FEW stones of the Great War contain more ro- 
mance, adventure and tragedy than that of the 
Dutch-Javanese woman who was shot as a spy 
on the rifle range at Vincennes at the breaking of dawn 
on the morning of October 15, 1917. 

Marguerite Gertrude Zelle, better known as Mile. 
Mata-Hari, lived in an atmosphere of mystery and 
mysticism. She was born in Java about 1877, the 
daughter of a Javanese mother and a wealthy Dutch 
planter. As a child she gave promise of the great 
beauty which came to her in later life. As a young 
girl she was tall and dark, with a wonderful skin that 
was almost bronze in color. She seems to have had 
natural talents of a high order, and was given oppor- 
tunities for education not granted to the poorer in- 
habitants of that Dutch possession. 

It is not strange that she should have had an un- 
usually colorful life. One need* only try to picture her 
early surroundings to understand that her existence 
was to be an uncommon one in every respect. In the 
locality where she was born and reared there were 
many men of many races. Besides the Javanese there 

201 



202 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

v/ere Arabs, immigrant Malays, Chinese, Hindus and 
other Orientals and some Dutch and other Europeans. 
Among the educated Javanese there was a love of 
literature, and we are told that they were fond of 
romances, poems and chronicles of the olden days, and 
that many of them made translations from the San- 
skrit and Arabic. Christianity did not thrive in the 
Islands, and the religions which predominated then, 
as now, were Mohammedanism, Brahmanism and Bud- 
dhism. 

As a child, Mata-Hari roamed among the remarkable 
Hindu ruins which dotted Java; she visited the beau- 
tiful temples of Buddha, and peered over the edge of 
more than one terrifying volcano. Her father died 
when she was quite young, and her mother, in order 
to protect her from the dangers which beset a child 
in that country of mixed races, took her to Burma 
and placed her in a Buddhist temple to learn the art of 
dancing, and at the same time pledged her to the life 
of a vestal bayadere. It. was on this occasion that 
she was given the name of Mata-Hari. She must have 
remained there for nearly ten years, but when she was 
still in her teens she escaped from the temple. The 
escape occurred on the occasion of a great Buddhist 
festival where she met a young army officer. She fell 
in love with the man and the story has it that they 
were married, and that two children were the result 
of the union. One report says that the boy, who was 
the favorite of his mother, died suddenly, and that a 
post-mortem examination proved that he had been poi- 
soned, and finally that the dancer, taking the law into 



DUTCH-JAVANESE DANCEE 203 

her own hands, shot a discharged gardener, who was 
suspected of the crime. She fled from her home and 
going to Paris began the professional career which 
gave her a world-wide reputation. The husband, we 
are informed, died soon after this, and the other child, 
a daughter, is now supposed to be living in England. 

Surely this may be regarded as a sufficiently inter- 
esting prelude to the sensational life of a woman whose 
Hfe was to end before a firing squad on the plains of 
Vincennes. In Paris she created a stir when she ap- 
peared as an exponent of Eastern ritualistic dancing. 
That city which loves sensations, took the tall, hand- 
some woman to its bosom. She became one of the 
fads of the day. She was almost instantly deluged 
with offers to appear elsewhere. Invitations came 
from London, Berlin, Vienna, and New York. It is 
interesting to note at this point that Mata-Hari became 
a special favorite in Berlin and Vienna. She per- 
formed frequently before titled men of those two capi- 
tals. Among her dances were several sinuous ones 
that were performed with the aid of wriggling snakes. 
About this time the war began and she made her way 
to Spain, and afterwards to Holland. Later she went 
to England and finally found her way again to Paris. 

But she found a different Paris from the city where 
she had made her first success as a dancer. The gay 
capital was in gloom. i\musements were tabooed for 
the time being, and even the gay Parisians thought of 
nothing but the war. The dancer did not enjoy this 
sort of thing. She was a child of pleasure, and for a 
time thought of leaving Paris for other parts. But 



204 THE WOELD'S GEEATEST SPIES 

something happened that caused her to remain there. 
It was hinted that she was in correspondence with 
some of her former admirers in BerHn and Vienna. 
The finger of suspicion was pointed in her direction. 
Evidently she was unaware of this fact for she moved 
about freely and made no attempt to conceal her move- 
ments. She left Paris and went to one of the English 
towns where experiments were being made with the 
famous tanks which proved to be such an important 
factor in the war. On one occasion she was seen 
with a young English officer who had fallen under the 
spell of her charms. 

It was currently reported that her arrest and convic- 
tion were due to a rejected sweetheart, the brother-in- 
law of a former French Minister of Finance and once 
a noted banker, but, however true that may be, it is 
certain that the first tangible evidence in the case came 
to light while she was in England. She did not re- 
main in the English town, but made frequent trips to 
London, and it is presumed that the information she 
was able to gather about the tanks was transmitted 
from the capital. How she was able to communicate 
with the Germans was long a puzzle. During this pe- 
riod she visited by turns Holland and Spain, and it is 
not hard to believe that it was in these countries that 
she was able to obtain a trustworthy messenger to 
carry the English secrets to Berlin. In the intervals 
between these trips to the Continent she was seen 
walking along the Strand and the West End of Lon- 
don. It was difficult for such a person to remain un- 
noticed. Her reputation had preceded her, and she 



DUTCH-JAVANESE DANCER 205 

was described in the English press as a " high-class 
Indian Princess, who had been a priestess in India, 
and one who had acquired complete control of enor- 
mous snakes." 

Indeed, her ver}' prominence served as a cloak under 
which she was enabled to carry on her dangerous oper- 
ations. Her repeated presence in the company of the 
young officer attached to the tank service eventually 
brought her under suspicion. The tanks, or armored 
motor tractors, were trump cards in the British war 
game, and that fact in itself caused the Government 
to watch over them with unremitting care. Presently 
came word that the Germans were working furiously 
on a special gas to combat the tank operations. This 
meant that in some way or other they had obtained 
information of what the British were doing in this 
connection. Where did the information come from? 
That was the natural question, and after some inquiries 
in the little town where the tractors were being manu- 
factured, suspicion pointed to Mata-Hari. 

For one thing it was discovered that she was always 
well supplied with money. After giving a famous 
" veil dance " she had practically ceased her profes- 
sional work, so that it was evident that the cash was 
not coming from her public exhibitions. In the midst 
of the British investigation she suddenly left for Paris. 
Her arrival in the French capital was the beginning 
of the end for the famous dancer. The French Secret 
Police w^ere on her trail from the moment she stepped 
on French soil. In Paris her name of Mata-Hari was 
translated to mean " Eye of the Morning." The Se- 



206 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

cret Service men smiled grimly at this as they followed 
her from the Cafe de Paris to Maxim's and finally to 
Armenonville in the Bois. They did not fail to take 
note of the fact that she was in the company of an 
English officer who wined and dined her, and seemed 
proud of the fact that he was permitted to be in her 
company. The young man wore in the lapel of his 
coat a little twisted brass dragon, the same being an 
official insignia denoting service with the tanks. 

One of the American correspondents says that it was 
on June first, exactly a month before Generals Haig 
and Foch began their drive astride the Somme, that 
Mata-Hari returned to Paris. He adds : *' And the 
first thing she did was to apply for a vise on her pass- 
ports permitting her to go to Spain. San Sebastian 
was the place she mentioned, explaining that she wished 
to attend the horse races there. Her papers were 
stamped and sealed, and she left almost immediately 
for the fashionable winter resort in the south. 

'* Madrid, Spain, and Nauen, Germany, are in con- 
stant wireless communication. There were other radio 
stations, privately owned in Spain, which could flash 
messages to Germany, according to Allied officers, and, 
of course, there were innumerable German agents, spies 
and propaganda disseminators infesting the land of the 
Dons. Secret Service reports disclosed the fact that 
Mata-Hari was seen much at the San Sebastian race 
course in the company of a man who was looked upon 
with suspicion by the French Government. He was a 
frequent caller upon her at the hotel where she stopped, 
and it was reported that he made many of the big bets 



DUTCH-JAVANESE DANCER 207 

which she placed upon horses that did not materialize 
as winners. Soon Mata-Hari came back to Paris and 
to the apartment near the Bois Boulogne. And once 
more the limousine owned by the individual branded 
a Deputy began rolling up to her door twice a week 
and sometimes oftener." 

The plot was thickening. About this time the 
French people began to get the first news from the 
Somme. They learned of the simultaneous Franco- 
British offensive. There the tanks went into action 
for the first time, and, according to General Haig's 
report, his " land ships " scored satisfactory results. 
But at the same time there were some disquieting ru- 
mors. It was hinted that several of the tanks were 
put out of commission in a curious manner. The 
enemy seemed to be possessed of private information 
concerning the " land ships." A number of German 
officers were taken prisoners at the battle, and when 
they were pressed, admitted that they had received de- 
scriptions of the tanks weeks before, and that they had 
been given special training in the art of combating 
these new weapons of war. 

Mata-Hari was still in Paris at this time, and it is 
likely that she read the news of the battle with more 
than ordinary interest. At all events, the cozy apart- 
ments which she occupied in the Bois de Boulogne 
proved to be a magnet for the French police. One 
evening an officer appeared there, and asked for Mata- 
Hari. She appeared, radiant in evening toilet. She 
greeted the caller with regal pride, her bronze-like skin 
slightly flushed and her head held high in the air. 



208 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

" How may I serve you, sir? " she demanded. 

The man was lost in astonishment at this tall, beau- 
tiful woman, but he managed to tell the purport of 
his errand in a few words. 

" You are wanted at headquarters. Come with me." 

For a fleeting instant her countenance lost its com- 
posure. Evidently she fully realized the meaning of 
the command. The game was ended and she had lost. 
Without another word she put on her hat and coat and 
followed the officer. From that moment she was a 
prisoner, and was watched day and night until her 
trial. The story of her trial has not been given to the 
world, and probably never will be. Indeed, one of the 
difficulties in telling the story of the spies of the Great 
War has been found in the reluctance of the authorities 
to tell any more than has been necessary. But it is not 
hard to picture this regal beauty facing her judges in 
the hall of justice. Much of the testimony against her 
must have been circumstantial, as it is in the case of 
most spies, but when the evidence had all been pieced 
together the jurist who presided over the inquiry was 
satisfied of her guilt. That, too, was the verdict of 
his associates, and one morning she was commanded 
to stand up and hear the verdict pronounced by the 
Judge. It came in the awful words: 

" Guilty, and condemned to be shot for the crime of 
high treason! " 

She went back to her prison cell to await the final 
summons, and it was in the gray dawn of a dull Oc- 
tober morning that Mata-Hari heard her last hour 
had arrived, heard it with an impassive face and not 




Photograph by Bain News Service. 

MLLE. MATA-HARI 



DUTCH-JAVANESE DANCER 209 

the least sign of emotion. It was the fifteenth of the 
month, and when the dancer awakened in her cell in 
the prison of Saint Lazare she instantly realized that 
the preparations for h^r execution were going on. 
Captain Bourchardon, the representative of the French 
Military Court that had condemned her to death, was 
there, so was tl^e warden of the prison and her coun- 
sel, M. Clouet. 

The Protestant clergyman, who was to offer her 
spiritual consolation, paced the corridor, while two 
nuns, connected with the prison, entered her cell to 
assist her in dressing. Smilingly she thanked them 
while declining their friendly offices. Quickly, deftly, 
and with the air of one who is about to go on an ordi- 
nary journey she dressed, attiring herself in a dark 
dress, trimmed with fur, which she had worn at her 
trial. A felt hat and a long coat completed her outfit. 
Nervously the little procession lined up and marched 
through the dark corridor of the prison. The men 
in the party were visibly affected. Mata-Hari, as has 
been said, " was mistress of herself and her emotions." 
There was a pause in the office of the warden. Here 
the condemned woman was given the opportunity of 
writing two letters, which she entrusted to her lawyer. 
Without further ado, she entered a military automo- 
bile, in the company of Captain Bourchardon and the 
two nuns. 

Presently they came in sight of the fortress of Vin- 
.cennes. If any emotions stirred Mata-Hari she did 
not betray them. Around about her were some of the 
most historic buildings in France. The castle which 



210 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

was used as a royal residence until the time of Louis 
XV, and which has since served the double purpose of 
a prison and a fortress, loomed up before her eyes. 
She probably recalled that the structure had housed 
Conde, Diderot, Mirabeau and other distinguished 
prisoners, and, if so, it made her hold her stately head 
a little higher. Nearby were the woods of Vincennes, 
where the people of Paris came for their outings. Ab- 
sent now were the signs of merrymaking. War had 
changed all of that, and for the moment a grim tragedy 
was being enacted within sight of the Parisian play- 
grounds. 

Mata-Hari was the first to alight from the automo- 
bile, and with a graceful inclination she turned to help 
one of the nuns to alight. The two nuns accompanied 
her to the office of the Governor, and after the final 
official formalities had been concluded they started for 
the rifle range, this time being accompanied by a 
squadron of dragoons. During the brief ride from 
the prison, and in the short time before the execution, 
there seemed to arise a sort of understanding between 
the dancer and the nun who stood by her right side. 
The one a woman of the world, and the other a woman 
of God. Differing in faith, appearance and mode of 
thought, they were yet both women. The one pale 
and spiritual, and the other dark and almost bronzed 
with an air of haughty defiance. The calm, religious 
life of the little nun was reflected in the serenity of 
her countenance. The pride of the tall, beautiful 
dancer was shown in the stoicism of her face and man- 
ner. If the unfortunate woman felt anything, it was 



DUTCH-JAVANESE DANCER 211 

the sympathy of the Httle nun, and in the clasp of the 
two hands there was a world of meaning. 

The Paris correspondent of the New York Sun has 
given us a dramatic picture of those last moments. 
Let him tell the rest of the story: 

" On the range all preparations for the execution 
were ready. A detachment of infantrymen in their 
blue-gray uniforms were drawn up, forming a hollow 
square — the targets being at the further end. The 
firing platoon of zouaves was in the center, the men 
standing at attention. The automobiles stopped at the 
entrance to the square and Mata-Hari stepped out. 
She gazed unmoved, almost disdainfully, at the set- 
ting prepared for her final appearance, in much the 
same manner as she had regarded the audiences that 
had applauded the exotic dances with which she had 
startled Paris. In the background stood a group of 
officers from the Vincennes garrison, many of whom 
had been witnesses of the condemned woman's stage 
triumphs. With her lawyer on one side and one of 
the nuns on the other, she passed unshaken in front 
of the silent, waiting troops. 

" Arriving in front of the targets, Mata-Hari bade 
these two good-by, embracing the nun as she stretched 
out her hands to a waiting gendarme who held the cord 
with which they were to be bound. As he fastened it 
about her right wrist the spy with the other waved a 
friendly little farewell to the second nun off in the 
background. When both were securely fastened she 
was left alone, standing erect, facing the muzzles of 
the twelve rifles of the firing squad. The commander 



212 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

of the platoon raised his sword and the volleys rang 
out, followed a second later by the report of a single 
shot — one of the squad had not pulled his trigger in 
unison with his fellows. Mata-Hari fell on her knees. 
A non-commissioned officer of the dragoons advanced 
and fired at close range. The dancer fell backward. 
She had answered her last curtain call. The troops 
marched past the prostrate body and returned to their 
barracks to begin the day's garrison duties, while the 
corpse was taken to a military cemetery and buried 
in a section set apart for the interring of executed 
criminals." 

Such is the dramatic and thrilling story, so far as 
it can be gathered from many conflicting sources, of 
one of the most notable women spies of the world's 
greatest war. 



X 



AMAZING ADVENTURES AND TRAGIC 
DEATH OF BOLO PASHA 



AMAZING ADVENTURES AND TRAGIC 
DEATH OF BOLO PASHA 

THIS is the story of the adventures, the amazing 
life and the tragic death of Paul Bolo, better 
known to history as Bolo Pasha. He was a 
rolling stone that gathered no moss, and for sheer 
audacity, bold resourcefulness and indifference to fate 
his career matched, if it did not surpass, the strangest 
characters depicted by the master pen of Dumas. 
From the cradle to the grave, his life was a constant 
succession of surprises. Born in one of the countries 
on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, the son of 
highly respected parents, he circumnavigated the globe, 
engaged in various curious occupations, participated 
in many shady schemes, and finally ended his eventful 
Hfe before a firing squad in the ancient city of Vin- 
cennes. 

His reckless disregard of consequences remained 
with him to the last — to that last ignoble moment 
when he suffered the saddest death that can come to a 
Frenchman — the death of a convicted spy. This 
man, who was by turns a barber's assistant, a soap 
peddler, an agent for wines and liquors, an intimate 
of the Khedive of Egypt, a sort of journalist and a 
tool of the unspeakable Bemstorff, at last came to his 

215 



216 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

end through the cleverness of the officials of the United 
States Government. He dealt in millions with the 
abandon of one who has been born to the purple. He 
engaged in international plots that would have stag- 
gered the greatest adventurers of history, and his 
nerve, in the face of it all, amazed those w^ho were 
engaged in the business of bringing him to justice. 

The most remarkable episode in his remarkable life, 
of course, was the one in which he undertook to be- 
tray France. The French Secret Police, in spite of 
their reputation, were unable to obtain the evidence 
that would convict him, but, by degrees and with 
infinite patience they helped to weave the net which 
was to encircle him in the end. Scotland Yard took 
part in the chase, and eventually the United States 
Department of Justice took part in the game. Thus 
it came about that the secret police of three of the 
most powerful nations in the world participated in the 
arrest and the conviction of the most adroit and the 
most picturesque adventurer of his day and generation. 



Paul Bolo's boyhood days were spent in quaint Mar- 
seilles in an atmosphere which was conducive to the 
love of adventure. It is easy to believe that the scenes 
amid which he moved were very similar to those de- 
picted by Dumas in his novel of ** Monte Cristo." We 
can imagine Bolo standing on the watch tower of 
Notra Dame de la Garde from which was signaled the 
three-masted schooner that carried Edmond Dantes 



BOLO PASHA 217 

back to his childhood home. As a youth he must have 
sat on the Quai d'Orleans and watched the vessels sail- 
ing into port between two rows of ships and a veritable 
forest of masts because then — as now — the harbor 
was one of the finest in France. 

It is certain that he played on the streets of La Can- 
nebiere, that thoroughfare which caused the proud 
ones of the town to exclaim : " If Paris had La Canne- 
biere, Paris would be a second Marseilles!" In the 
early days of Bolo the city had its old town on the 
west and its new town on the east. The narrow, ir- 
regular streets in the older part of the city, with their 
tall houses on either side, furnished a sharp contrast 
to the broad avenues and the modern homes in the 
newer section. Marseilles has always been the point 
of embarkation of passengers for ports on the Medi- 
terranean and the East, a sort of international gateway, 
full of color and gayety and constant excitement. Is 
it any wonder that an imaginative boy, living amid 
such surroundings, should have yearned to see the 
world, to do wonderful things and to long for a Hfe 
of adventure? 

But those were the days of small things for Paul 
Bolo, and he had to take what he could get, and not 
get what he wanted. If he had followed the teachings 
of his parents he might have had a humdrum exist- 
ence, and died an unnoticed and respectable death. 
It seems to have been the irony of fate that his father 
and mother, and indeed, all of the members of his 
family, were devoted and loyal French people. An 
older brother was destined for Holy Orders, and the 



218 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

domestic atmosphere was one that stimulated love of 
law and order, and reverence for authority. 

But from the outset Paul Bolo was wayward. His 
first employment was as a barber's assistant, a strange 
part for one who dreamt of being a Napoleon of 
Finance and a man of affairs. Even in that he was 
erratic and difficult to manage. It is true that he re- 
mained at this humdrum work for several months, but 
even while he mixed lather and singed hair he was 
pondering over the means that he should take to be- 
come a great man. Marseilles, at that time, was a 
center for soap and perfumery, and finally the young 
man determined to seek his fortune by the sale of 
soap. Not in the ordinary way, because he was not 
an ordinary person. He conceived the idea of getting 
rich quick by means of a novel lottery. He began in 
a modest way with a wheelbarrow, offering his soap 
at five cents a cake. He prospered to such an extent 
that he was soon able to acquire a small shop. He ad- 
vertised that in certain of the cakes of soap there 
was concealed ten-franc gold pieces. Need it be said 
that he did a land office business? It became neces- 
sary to obtain several assistants, and Bola seemed to 
be on the high road to fortune. But at this critical 
stage of his career the gendarmes interfered, his stock 
of soap was confiscated, and the first stage of the busi- 
ness life of Paul Bolo came to an abrupt end. 

For some time after the collapse of the soap enter- 
prise Bolo lived a life of leisure, and then he cast about 
for a new occupation. His mind seems to have been 
bent upon some business that would bring prompt and 



BOLO PASHA 219 

profitable returns. He soon learned that he needed 
capital to embark on anything worth while. He was 
plausible and interested a man with money. And 
what do you suppose they decided upon? Nothing 
more nor less than the lobster business! Bolo had 
little or no knowledge on that score, but his partner 
seems to have supplied both the money and the experi- 
ence for the enterprise. Bolo was full of enthusiasm. 
He was like the lamented Colonel Mulberry Sellers 
with his eye cure for the people of India. There was 
to be billions in it. Everybody had to eat, and that 
being the case, why not have them eat lobsters ? Fur- 
thermore, why not direct things so that Bolo and Com- 
pany should become the French Lobster Kings? For 
many months all went wxU. The sales were large, 
but the expenditures were greater than the receipts, 
and the concern went to* the wall. 

The people of Marseilles lost sight of Paul Bolo 
for a time, but presently he was heard of again in the 
silk manufacturing town of Lyons. He was as bright 
and as gay and as care-free as ever, and he was confi- 
dent that money could be made in the thriving com- 
munity if he only engaged in the right occupation. 
Having failed as a barber's assistant, as a soap mer- 
chant and as a dealer in lobsters, he felt certain that 
there must be some line of endeavor in which he could 
make a success. He had money, for in spite of his 
hard luck he managed to secure enough to keep the pot 
boiling. He now organized a photographic company. 
He reasoned this out in characteristic fashion. No 
matter how poor people may be, they love to be photo- 



220 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

graphed. The debonair Bolo now devoted his time 
to the task of having his customers ** look pleasant.'' 
This elegant Frenchman had a way about him, and he 
attracted customers from all classes of the population. 
But the enterprise was short-lived, and once more the 
young man from Marseilles scored a failure. 

Was he cast down ? Not in the least. In less than 
a year he branched out as a wine agent. At last it 
seemed as if he had found a vocation in which his pe- 
culiar talents were likely to shine to advantage. He 
formed a partnership with a German nobleman, a cer- 
tain Baron Saafeld. They had many traits in com- 
mon, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that to this 
partnership may be traced the beginning of the Teu- 
tonic associations which were to lead Paul Bolo into 
that fateful enterprise which was only to end in his 
tragic death. At the outset he was a success. He 
had all of the personal qualities that go to make up the 
plausible manager of such a concern. Above all else 
he was a social being. He loved good food and drink ; 
he was a natural born " mixer," he had no difficulty in 
securing entrance to the best society, and in a very 
adroit manner he managed to mingle business and 
pleasure. But Baron Saafeld had practically the same 
experience as Bolo's partner in the lobster business. 
The enterprise came to grief, and in order to avoid 
unpleasant experiences Bolo found it expedient to leave 
Lyons. 

He moved to Paris, and there he was in his element. 
He haunted the boulevards; he became a man about 
town, and he was welcomed in the convivial circles of 




Photograph from Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 
BOLO PASHA 



BOLO PASHA 221 

the gayest city in Europe. In the course of time he 
made the acquaintance of a woman who was beautiful, 
and some years his senior. It seems to have been a 
case of love at first sight — at least on the part of 
the w^oman. She was possessed of a considerable for- 
tune, but this was no obstacle so far as Paul Bolo was 
concerned. They were married. It must be conceded 
that Bolo had an attractive personality. His bright 
eyes, his eager manners and his winning ways were 
calculated to attract the attention of the fair sex. The 
two were seen together constantly, and all of the evi- 
dence points to a satisfactory marital partnership. 
Indeed, it seems to have been the only partnership 
which Bolo had contracted up to that time which was 
even partially successful. But in a short time the lady 
died, and Paul Bolo inherited her ample fortune. He 
had other matrimonial adventures, but probably the 
least said about them the better. 

He was now, for the first time in his life, in a posi- 
tion where he could follow the bent of his inclina- 
tions. He was free and he had money. He had the 
time and the means to satisfy his love for adventure. 
He thought of the days when, as a boy, he had sat 
upon the Quai d'Orleans in Marseilles, and looked out 
upon the sea and wondered what lay in the dim and 
misty distance. His imaginative mind turned to 
Egypt, and he determined to journey to that strange 
and mysterious land which has attracted men in all 
ages. With that determination came the casting of 
the die of destiny. He little thought that his decision 
would lead him into a series of strange adventures 



222 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

which was to bring his remarkable life to a most 
thrilling close. 

II 

It has been said that Egypt is the Mecca of adven- 
turers. It is certain that it had a strong appeal for 
Bolo, and when he started for Cairo he was putting 
into execution a desire that had lurked in his mind 
for many years. The colorful scenes, the donkey boys, 
the camels, the black-robed and closely-veiled women, 
the water carriers, and the mixture of Turks, Arabs, 
Syrians, Armenians, Persians and Europeans, all ap- 
pealed to the imagination of the man who, as a boy, 
had sat on the watch towers of his native French city 
and wondered what lay beyond the horizon. 

At that time Abbas Hilmi was the Khedive of Egypt, 
and it was characteristic of the audacity of Paul Bolo 
that his first move was to have himself presented to the 
ruler of the strange land. It was not very difficult to 
do this, because the Khedive seemed to be as eager to 
meet Europeans as they were to meet him. When 
Bolo entered the palace he found himself being es-= 
corted along a stairway built of Carrara marble, and 
thence into a magnificent reception room. He was 
cordially received and after the usual preliminaries he 
was invited to take a seat on a divan, the Khedive 
taking the other end, with his feet drawn under him 
in the accepted Oriental style. The potentate wore a 
black suit, with a single-breasted coat, with a low- 
standing collar, and the never-absent red fez. 

The Khedive talked French fluently, so that the two 



BOLO PASHA 223 

men managed to indulge in an animated conversation. 
Abbas Hilmi was greatly attracted to Paul Bolo from 
the start. Probably the fact that both were adven- 
turers had a great deal to do with the instinctive sym- 
pathy between them. In any event, that first visit was 
but the prelude to many others, and in a little while 
the Khedive and the former lobster dealer were firm 
and fast friends. It was a little while before the 
outbreak of the European war, and when the clouds 
finally broke the ruler of Egypt began to see that in 
Bolo he had a man who might serve a useful purpose. 
Abbas Hilmi was lax in money matters, and he needed 
some one who could aid him in the realms of higher 
finance. Also, he was beginning to show a leaning 
toward Germany. There were ominous mutterings 
from England. It was the part of wisdom for Abbas 
Hilmi to make friends who might serve him in the day 
of his tribulation. 

So, one day, he sent for Bolo, and the two of them 
were presented with pipes with long stems set in dia- 
monds, the bowls resting on silver plates placed in the 
floor. After that, Turkish coffee was served, and then 
the Khedive, as an evidence of friendship to his newly 
found friend, gave him the title of Pasha. From that 
day until the moment of his execution the young man 
from Marseilles was known to the world as Bolo 
Pasha. The two were frequently seen in public to- 
gether. Bolo basked in the sunshine of the favor of 
one of the picturesque rulers of the earth. He was 
content — for the time being. If a record could have 
been kept of the doings of those days it would have 



224 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

been full of human interest. Bolo went everywhere 
and he saw everything. In the company of the Khe- 
dive he visited the mosques, the Arab cemetery, the 
Citadel with its wonderful palaces, the alabaster 
mosque of Mohammed Ali, the Pyramids, the Sphinx, 
the deserts and the petrified forests. And last, but by 
no means least, there were wonderful trips along the 
Nile in gorgeously decorated boats that recalled the 
magic days of Antony and Cleopatra. 

Bolo was present at many of the elaborate court 
ceremonies, and not the least of these was the occasion 
when a new Consul-General was received from one of 
the European countries. At the time selected the 
Pasha, who was the master of ceremonies, waited on 
the newly-accredited representative with two great 
coaches. One of these was the royal gala coach, 
drawn by richly-caparisoned white horses and accom- 
panied by footmen and outriders. The Pasha was 
attended by a body of cavalrymen on white and gray 
horses. Thus surrounded, the Consul-General was 
conveyed to the palace, there to find a regiment of in- 
fantry drawn up on either side of the large square of 
the entrance. Cannon from the Citadel boomed a sa- 
lute and the soldiers presented arms. At the grand 
stairway the master of ceremonies met the party and 
conducted them to the presence of the Khedive. 
There were greetings, the exchange of formal ad- 
dresses, and then Turkish pipes and Turkish coffee. 
Is it any wonder that such scenes went to the head 
of Bolo Pasha like so much strong wine? 

He was the intimate of a man who was hedged in 



BOLO PASHA 225 

with all of the trappings of royalty. But then, as 
now, it was evident that the head that wore a crown 
was uneasy. The suspicion that had been entertained 
of Abbas Hilmi had now practically become a certainty. 
He was nervous and apprehensive, and he began to 
cast about for ways and means to save as much of 
his fortune as was possible. He knew the history of 
his own country well enough to realize that there is 
nothing quite as helpless and as useless as an ex- 
Khedive. His mind went back to the days of the de- 
thronement of Ismail Pasha. Curiously enough, the 
troubles of that monarch dated from the time that 
Bismarck and France had entered into a sort of alli- 
ance on what was popularly known as the " Egyptian 
Question." Germany and England did not have a 
great deal in common in those faraway days, but on 
that historic occasion England entered into the French 
scheme of deposing the Khedive. One historian tells 
us that when Napoleon was the all-powerful monarch 
in Europe, the Khedive trembled at the simple an- 
nouncement of a visit from the French Consul-Gen- 
eral. " What does he want now ? " the Khedive would 
say, or, " He has come to insist upon the demands he 
made yesterday." 

In any event, it was a condition and not a theory 
which confronted Abbas Hilmi. It was at this stage 
of the game that Bolo began to scheme in favor of his 
friend. It has been said that the Khedive used Bolo 
as his tool, but it is quite likely that they had a com- 
munity of interests in the matter. One writer who 
has sized up the situation, put it aptly when he said 



226 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

that " the wily Khedive used Bolo, the Frenchman 
with the Egyptian title, as the means of transferring 
all of his own fortune, and the trust funds in his care, 
to Europe." It is certain that at this point the French 
adventurer first became immersed in the German net 
of intrigue. Who can say that at that early stage of 
the game he had any thought of betraying his own 
country? It seems more than likely that his thought 
was of aiding the Khedive, and of making his own 
fortune at the same time. 

Events came thick and fast from that time until 
the end of the European war. One must be patient in 
order to gather all of the scattered threads of the 
strange story. Abbas Hilmi was deposed, and he at 
once began to intrigue to get as much out of the wreck 
as possible. What followed is a matter of current 
history. The details have been outlined in the news- 
papers. Here they are presented in one lucid sum- 
mary : 

" In November, 19 14, in an effort to prevent the 
permanent sequestration of the ex-Khedive's prop- 
erty in Egypt, Bolo sent an Italian friend to Con- 
stantinople, where Abbas then was, with two letters. 
One was to the effect that Abbas owed Bolo $10,- 
000,000, and the other was a promise by Bolo to 
refund the money. Bolo then arranged a meeting 
with Sadik Pasha, counselor to Abbas Hilmi, at 
Rome for February i, 191 5, and he thereupon pro- 
posed to Abbas' representative a plan for the estab- 
lishment of a bank in Switzerland, which was in 
reality to be used for the dissemination of German 
propaganda. Bolo and Sadik Pasha went to Vienna 



BOLO PASHA 227 

to meet Abbas Hilmi, who refused to consider the 
scheme. Bolo thereupon made an alternative pro- 
posal to the effect that he purchase an interest in 
some of the leading newspapers of France, at the 
same time guaranteeing the publication of a number 
of articles favorable to the German cause. 

" Abbas Hilmi is said to have favored the last 
proposition, and after a conference with Count 
Monts, the former German Ambassador to Rome, 
dispatched Sadik Pasha to Berlin to lay the matter 
before Foreign Minister von Jagow. Von Jagow 
is said to have agreed and offered to put up 10,000,- 
000 marks to be paid in ten monthly installments. 
A short time after that Abbas Hilmi, accompanied 
by Chefik Pasha, arrived at the Hotel Savoy, Zurich, 
where Bolo and Commandatore Cavallini already 
were installed. It is noteworthy that at the same 
time Bolo and his party were at the Hotel Savoy, 
Herr Erzberger, leader of the German party, was 
at the Hotel du Saint Gothard, and that Bolo intro- 
duced him to many of his friends. The next day 
at a conference at the Savoy, Bolo was said to have 
accepted Von Jagow's proposal of 10,000,000 marks 
monthly, to be paid through the ex-Khedive. 

"The story has it that on March 21, 1915, the 
former Egyptian ruler received the first installment 
through the Dresden Bank and forwarded it to an 
agent in Italy to be paid over to Bolo. The French 
spy refused to accept the money in that way and ar- 
rangements were thereupon made to have the money 
deposited in a Geneva bank, where Bolo represented 
it to be a part of the personal fortune of Abbas 
Hilmi." 

At this point one must be careful in trying to sift 
the facts from the flood of conjecture. We are told 



228 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

that one of Bolo's most ambitious schemes was his 
endeavor to establish a great bank in Italy with a capi- 
tal of 100,000,000 francs, and it was said that he 
actually succeeded in getting the endorsement of some 
of those high in authority in Rome. In some way it 
was expected to interest the King of Spain in the un- 
dertaking, and Bolo and a certain nobleman went to 
Madrid to lay the matter before King Alfonzo. The 
Papal Nuncio at that Court had heard rumors which 
gave the transaction an irregular appearance, and it is 
said that upon his advice the king flatly refused to have 
anything to do with the proposed enterprise. There 
are no means of verifying these phases of Bolo's ac- 
tivities, and, consequently, the prudent reader must ac- 
cept them with a grain of salt. 

When we come back to the firmer ground of cer- 
tainty we find Bolo making frequent trips between Ge- 
neva and Paris. In the beginning these journeys did 
not excite any suspicion. At this time Bolo seems to 
have been receiving money through Abbas Hilmi from 
Arthur von Gwinner, head of the Deutsche Bank, 
financial adviser to Von Jagow, and, as he has been 
described, " one of the most commanding figures in 
the commerce and industry of the German Empire.*' 
It was during one of these trips that the suggestion 
for the purchase of an interest in Senator Humbert's 
newspaper, Le Journal, was first broached. It was 
that business which led to the downfall of Bolo Pasha. 



BOLO PASHA 229 

III 

It was on February 22, 1916 — curiously enough 
the anniversary of the birth of Washington — that 
Bolo Pasha arrived in New York. He came ostensibly 
as a French publicist and journalist, and was pre- 
sumed to be ardently in favor of the French cause. 
The audacity of the man may be understood when it 
is stated that he stopped at one of the leading hotels 
in New York, and permitted himself to be entertained 
as one who was in America favoring the Allies. 

Yet, at that very time, he was under official investi- 
gation in France. His relations with the former Khe- 
dive of Egypt, and his hurried visits to Switzerland, 
gave an air of mystery to all of his movements. He 
must have realized this, but it made no difference in 
his outward appearance. He was playing a bold game, 
and he was not the sort of person to weaken. Still, 
in his heart of hearts, he felt that he was approaching 
a crisis. He had had his hour of success. He had 
known prosperity. But it was nearing the end. The 
sun was going down — the shadows of suspicion were 
rapidly gathering about the hitherto care-free head 
of Bolo Pasha. 

But at the time of his arrival in New York, Bolo 
basked in popularity and success. He was cordially 
greeted by the head of the Hearst newspapers. 
Charles F. Bertilli, the French representative of these 
journals, explains that he was largely responsible for 
the newspaper standing given to Bolo in New York. 
He tells it thus : 



230 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

" Jean Finot, Director of La Revue, had sent him 
a letter of introduction to Mr. Hearst and had 
requested me to accredit him with Mr. Hearst. He 
had said to me, ' Occupy yourself with the matter. 
Bolo has very great political power; he is the pro- 
prietor of Le Journal, and it would be well that 
Hearst should know him.' I made the voyage with 
Bolo. I spoke of Bolo to Hearst, and the latter 
said to me, * H he is a great proprietor of French 
newspapers I should be very glad to meet him.' " 

Thus came about the notable dinner at Sherry's — 
that dinner which caused no end of gossip and con- 
jecture. Bolo had two personal guests, Jules Bois 
and Adolph Pavenstedt. That was unfortunate for 
Bolo, because it gave the affair a pro-German flavor 
and further roused the suspicions of those who were 
watching the man and his movements. 

Bolo first met Pavenstedt in Havana in 19 13 and 
the acquaintance ripened rapidly, so that at the Hearst 
dinner the German was looked upon as an old friend. 
Pavenstedt was head of the banking house of G. Am- 
sinck & Co. This is the firm through which were paid 
the men who attempted to destroy the Welland Canal. 

One of the ways in which Bolo won the attention of 
newspaper publishers in America was by making it 
appear that part of his mission in this country was 
to arrange for the purchase of large quantities of 
print paper. He had a letter of introduction to the 
manager of the Royal Bank of Canada, stating that 
he was the publisher oi Le Journal, and that he had 
been " commissioned by all the other large newspaper 



BOLO PASHA 231 

publishers in Paris to arrange a contract for 20,000 
tons monthly." There was seeming confirmation of 
the mission when he deposited $500,000 in the Royal 
Bank of Canada. This money had been drawn from 
the German Government deposits in the National Park 
Bank by Hugo Schmidt and given to Pavenstedt, who 
passed it on to Bolo. A sort of financial thimble rig- 
ging to cover the contemplated treachery. The real 
purpose was to pervert the French newspaper press. 

Le Journal, of course, was to lead in the German 
propaganda. None of them were to declare for Ger- 
many or against France. Nothing so raw and impos- 
sible as that. But the game was to appeal to a war- 
weary public by subtle suggestions. Would it not, 
for instance, be a good thing to make a separate peace 
with Germany? Then again, an old friend. Abbas 
Hilmi, had proposed that Germany should yield Alsace- 
Lorraine in return for certain French colonies. 
Wouldn't that be fine ? i\nd then the Germans would 
be willing to evacuate French soil. War was a dread- 
ful thing at best. Wouldn't it be wonderful if thou- 
sands of lives and millions of property might yet be 
saved? That was the sort of thing that was expected 
in return for the millions that were being turned over 
by the German Government to Bolo Pasha. 

It might be profitable at this point to consider for a 
moment the child-like nature of the German mind 
which could hope to accomplish anything by a propa- 
ganda of this kind in a country so intensely patriotic 
as France. The utter futility of the scheme is as 
amazing as is its audacity. In this respect it resem- 



232 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

bles the ineffectual attempt to influence the press of 
the United States. Hundreds of thousands of dollars 
seem to have been spent for that purpose, but the re- 
sults were by no means in proportion to the money 
expended. It need hardly be said that it was impos- 
sible to even approach any newspaper of first-class 
standing. Where money was placed it was in what 
might be called the riff-raff of journalism — with those 
publications that hang on to the skirts of respectable 
newspaperdom. 

But Bolo was not concerned with the question of 
whether the German Government received the worth 
of its money or not. Nor did the futility of the enter- 
prise bother him. He was engaged in an adventure 
involving high finance and probably the fate of na- 
tions, and that was sufficient for him. In this con- 
nection it is interesting to note that the first place 
he called after reaching New York was at the ofiice 
of J. P. Morgan &; Co., fiscal agents of the Entente 
Allies. He presented letters of introduction. It was 
a shrewd move to divert suspicion from his real mis- 
sion. But, unfortunately for himself, he did not guard 
his movements. It became known that he was doing 
business also with Hugo Schmidt, the New York agent 
of the Deutsche Bank of Berlin, and the associate of 
Arthur von Gwinner. It was also rumored that he 
had visited Count Bernstorff. It is known that he 
paid a midnight visit to Washington, and it is not un- 
likely that he there met the German Ambassador under 
cover, although the actual evidence is to the effect that 



BOLO PASHA 233 

the wily Bernstorff did not come into personal contact 
with the elusive Bolo until the very last moment — 
that is to say, on the eve of his departure for Paris. 

But the investigators of the United States Govern- 
ment were on the track of the debonair stranger within 
our gates. They were greatly aided by following the 
Germans who had shown such a friendliness to Bolo. 
One morning a real clew came to hand when it was 
ascertained that a balance of nearly $1,700,000 de- 
posited to Bolo's credit in the local branch of the 
Royal Bank of Canada had been sent there by Am- 
sinck & Co., the German banking firm controlled by 
Adolph Pavenstedt. The way in which this gentle- 
man was regarded by the United States authorities 
may be surmised when it is stated that during the lat- 
ter part of the war he was placed in an internment 
camp at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, 

It was proven that the transfers had been made in 
six installments, and it was noteworthy that they went 
to a Canadian bank. It was then necessary to estab- 
lish from what source the money reached Amsinck & 
Co., and investigation proved that Herr Pavenstedt 
was an intimate of Count von Bernstorff and of Hugo 
Schmidt. Further investigation proved that the money 
had been transferred to Amsinck & Co. by the Guar- 
anty Trust Company and the National Park Bank at 
the request of Hugo Schmidt, and that Bolo had re- 
ceived it through the Royal Bank of Canada without 
the names of either Von Bernstorff, Pavenstedt or 
Schmidt appearing as a party to the transactions. 

The ascertainment of all these facts required a long 



234 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

time, and the story as it is given here was pieced to- 
gether with odds and ends of facts picked up here and 
there. In the meantime Bolo had returned to Paris 
where he was arrested on suspicion. The sensation 
came when Secretary of State Lansing gave out copies 
of secret telegrams that had passed between Bernstorff, 
in Washington, and Foreign Secretary von Jagow, in 
Berlin. The dates and the contents were damaging 
to the last degree. 

Probably the most important paper in the mass of 
documentary evidence was a letter written by Bolo 
Pasha to the New York City branch of the Royal Bank 
of Canada on March 14, 1916, three days before he 
sailed on his return to France. The letter reads as 
follows : 

New York, March 14, 1916. 
The Royal Bank of Canada, 

New York, N. Y. 
Gentlemen : 

You will receive from Messrs. G. Amsinck & Co., 
deposits for the credit of my account with you, 
which deposits will reach the aggregate amount of 
about $1,700,000, which I wish you to utilize in the 
following manner : 

First: Immediately on receipt of the amount on 
account of this sum, pay to Messrs. J. P. Morgan 
& Co., New York City, the sum of $170,068.03, to 
be placed to the credit of the account with them of 
Senator Charles Humbert, of Paris. 

Second : Establish on your books a credit of 
$5000 good until the thirty-first of May, in favor of 
Jules Bois, Biltmore Hotel, this amount to be utilized 
by him at the debit of my account according to his 
needs, and the unused balance to be returned to me. 



BOLO PASHA 235 

Third : Transfer to the credit of my wife, Ma- 
dame Bolo with Agency T of Comptoir National 
d'Escomte de Paris the sum of about $524,000, to be 
debited to my account as such transfers are made 
by you at best rate and by small amounts. 

Fourth : You will hold subject to my instructions 
when all payments are complete a balance of not 
less than one million dollars. 

Yours truly, 

Bold Pasha. 

Was Count Bernstorff the master mind behind Bolo 
Pasha in his queer adventure? The reader will have 
to form his own conclusions. At all events, the fol- 
lowing five dispatches made public by Secretary of 
State Lansing tell their own story: 

No. 679, Feb. 26 
I have received direct information from an en- 
tirely trustworthy source concerning a political 
action in one of the enemy countries which w^ould 
bring peace. One of the leading political personali- 
ties of the country in question is seeking a loan of 
$1,700,000 in New York, for which security will be 
given. I was forbidden to give his name in writing. 
The affair seems to me to be of the greatest possible 
importance. Can the money be provided at once 
in New York ? That the intermediary will keep the 
matter secret is entirely certain. Request answer 
by telegram. A verbal report will follow as soon as 
a trustworthy person can be found to bring it to 
Germany. 

Bernstorff. 

No. 150, Feb. 29 
Answer to telegram 679. Agreed to the loan, 



236 THE WOELD'S GKEATEST SPIES 

but only if peace action seems to you a really serious 
project, as the provision of money in New York is 
for us at present extraordinarily difficult. If the 
enemy country is Russia, have nothing to do with 
the business as the sum of money is too small to 
have any serious effect in that country or, too, in the 
case of Italy, where it would not be worth while to 
spend so much. 

Jagow. 

No. 685, March 5 
Please instruct Deutsche Bank to hold nine mil- 
lion marks at disposal of Hugo Schmidt. The af- 
fair is very promising. Further particulars follow. 

Bernstorff. 

No. 692, March 20 
With reference to telegram No. 685, please advise 
our minister in Berne that some one will call on him 
who will give him passport to Sanct Regis, and who 
wishes to establish relations with the Foreign Office. 
Intermediary further requests that influence may be 
brought to bear upon our press to press for a change 
in the inner political situation in France so far as 
possible in silence in order that influence may not 
be spoiled by German approval. 

Bernstorff. 

No. 106, May 31 
The person announced in telegram 692 of March 
20 has not yet reported himself at the legation at 
Berne. Is there any more news on your side of 
Bolo? 

Jagow. 

Copies of these telegrams were conveyed to France, 



BOLO PASHA 237 

and as a result of them Bolo was recommitted to 
prison and refused bail. From being merely a sus- 
pected, he was now an accused, man. There has been 
a great deal of curiosity regarding the manner in which 
the United States Government came into possession 
of these damning documents, but that is a State secret, 
not to be told. It caused quite a shock in Berlin, and 
tended to revise the opinion of those self-sufficient 
German officials who had slightingly referred to Amer- 
icans as " those fool Yankees." It was notice to the 
enemy that America had awakened, and that the Ger- 
mans could no longer go on with their intrigues with 
impunity. 

IV 

Bolo Pasha was tried by court-martial, and the case 
was one of the sensations in Paris. There were other 
defendants besides the Levantine financier, as he was 
called, but, naturally, Bolo held the center of the stage, 
a position which did not dismay him, in spite of the 
fact that his life was at stake. . 

It was a solemn as well as a picturesque-looking tribu- 
nal. The military officers were seated in a row behind 
the long table, their eyes constantly upon the man who 
had been charged with an attempt to betray their coun- 
try. Colonel Voyer, the President of the Court, was 
stern and unsmiling; Captain Bouchardon, who col- 
lected and read the testimony charging Bolo with 
treason, alert and pressing one point after another; 
and the defendant himself, proclaiming his innocence, 
and still showing that personal magnetism which had 



238 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

been at once the means of his rise and fall. He was 
charged with the greatest crime that can be brought 
against a Frenchman, and yet it is conceivable that 
the members of the court may have felt regret at the 
plight in which this bright-eyed, black-mustached, fash- 
ionably-attired young man found himself. 

Captain Bouchardon, in opening the case, made it 
clear that in pressing the charge against Bolo, the 
French Government was endeavoring to disrupt the 
whole system of German intrigue and propaganda in 
France, which, in the spring of 1917, became so *' bold 
and effective as to threaten to defeat French efforts 
to carry on the war." He said frankly that the pur- 
pose was to break up what has been described as 
" Boloism." This involved a series of attempts to 
spread discouragement and depression among the 
civilian leaders and soldiers of France. It involved 
not only Bolo, but also Joseph Caillaux, one time Pre- 
mier of France, two members of the French Assembly, 
and several French newspapers. All of these were 
charged with spreading the spirit of " defeatism." 
This meant encouragement of the old cry so often 
heard in the United States, that " you cannot defeat 
Germany." After the charges had been formally pre- 
sented, Bolo denied them with vehemence, crying: 

" I am no traitor. I have asked to be judged, and 
I am willing to die, but not as a traitor ! " 

After that he sat perfectly still for a long time, 
listening to the testimony that was offered. Aside 
from the nervous fumbling of his monocle, one might 
have ima2:ined that he was a disinterested observer. 



BOLO PASHA 239 

The defense admitted many of the activities of the 
accused, but insisted that they had been wholly in the 
interest of the Entente Powers. 

When ex-Premier Caillaux was called as a witness 
for the defense, Bolo said he would waive his testi- 
mony, but Darius Pochere, a co-defendant, objected 
to this, contending that Caillaux's testimony must be 
heard, if not in the present case, then on behalf of 
himself. 

During the reading of Captain Bouchardon's report 
Bolo appeared somewhat bored, but when called upon 
by the President of the court-martial to explain dis- 
crepancies in his previous testimony the prisoner soon 
became voluble. He spoke with a patronizing air to 
the prosecuting attorney and the President of the Court, 
and admitted many discrepancies and altogether was 
considered to have had the better of the repartee. 

On being asked by the prosecutor, why, considering 
the volume of business transacted by him, he kept no 
books or calendars, Bolo replied : 

" I am the master of money, not its slave! " 

Bolo said that the money he received from Abbas 
Hilmi, former Khedive of Egypt, through Filippo 
Cavallini, an Italian, who is alleged to have taken 
$400,000 to Bolo's hotel in Paris in April, 191 5, was 
in repayment of a loan made to the Khedive in 19 14. 
He asserted that he brought about the abdication of 
Abbas Hilmi, and said that he used all his influence 
to have the former Khedive exert his energies in the 
interest of the Entente. 

The indictment formally charged Bolo Pasha with 



240 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

having maintained communication with the enemy in 
Switzerland in 191 5, and in Paris the same year, when 
he received German money from Cavallini to further 
the pacifist movement ; with negotiations with German 
agents in the United States in 191 6, where he is 
charged with having received through Adolph Paven- 
stedt, once head of the New York banking house of 
Amsinck & Co., and the Deutsche Bank, German 
money to be used in influencing the French newspapers, 
part of it having been advanced to the director of the 
Paris Journal. 

Broad smiles passed over the faces of those in the 
courtroom when Pavenstedt, Abbas Hilmi, the former 
Khedive of Egypt, and the latter's minister, Youssttf 
Sadik Pasha, were called as witnesses, and their ab- 
sence from the courtroom was formally noted. 

Bolo's counsel, in demanding an adjournment, on 
the first day of the trial, said that many witnesses for 
the defendant, as well as some of his accusers, were in 
allied or neutral countries, but their presence was pos- 
sible, by extradition or otherwise. He mentioned 
particularly the Director of the Royal Bank of Can- 
ada, Mr. Pignatel, and Pavenstedt, one of Bolo's chief 
accusers. He said it would be easy to obtain the testi- 
mony of the latter, because he was interned in the 
United States and could be extradited without diffi- 
culty. Counsel likewise demanded that witnesses in 
Spain be produced, and that even the former Khedive 
of Egypt, who is in Constantinople, could be brought 
to Paris, since no formal state of war then existed 
between France and Turkey. 



BOLO PASHA 241 

The State replied to the demand of counsel for the 
defendant by saying that telegrams had been addressed 
to each of the witnesses, but that none of them had 
answered. The State's counsel added that Pavenstedt, 
the former Khedive, and Youssuf Sadik Pasha could 
add nothing to the evidence, because they would simply 
appear as accusers, and the State already had sufficient 
evidence at its disposal. 

On the second day of this remarkable trial, Bolo in- 
sisted that his money had come from commissions he 
had made in legitimate business transactions. There- 
upon the State produced M. Doyen, an expert ac- 
countant, who, turning dramatically in the direction 
of the defendant, said : 

" All of Bolo's statements are lies ; he never received 
the commissions he alleges as the foundation of his 
fortune." 

The accountant then gave the Court a mass of 
checks, receipts and other documents showing that 
Bolo had received half a million dollars from the 
Guaranty Trust Company of New York when that 
institution acted as the agent of the Deutsche Bank 
of Berlin, before the war. The papers also indicated 
that the defendant had received a similar sum from the 
Royal Bank of Canada. To cap the climax, the letters 
showing the correspondence between Bernstorfif and 
Von Jagow were placed in evidence. The members of 
the court passed the documents from hand to hand and 
they were read with the greatest avidity. It was evi-- 
dent that they were regarded as of prime impor- 
tance. 



242 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

Bolo's air of indifference forsook him for the mo- 
ment. He watched his Judges intently as they read 
this incriminating evidence. Before this stage of the 
trial had been reached he had kept the spectators in 
a roar by his sharp retorts to the prosecutor. More 
than any other kind of people the French love to be 
amused, and Bolo Pasha gave them plenty of amuse- 
ment when he was not contributing touches of tragedy. 
His gravity was pronounced, but a few monutes later 
he burst into laughter when a letter from former 
Premier Joseph Caillaux was read — a letter which 
said, among other things : 

" I beg you, my dear Bolo, to quit this Pasha busi- 
ness. It only makes you ridiculous." 

When he was called upon to make his explanation 
of the correspondence between Bernstorff and Von 
Jagow, he retorted that there w^as nothing to explain 
so far as he was concerned. He asserted that it would 
be ridiculous to consider him as the '' leading political 
personality " mentioned in the Bernstorff letter. Dur- 
ing the course of the examination the statement was 
made that Bolo had assumed the name of ** Saint 
Regis " for certain purposes, and that it had been 
given him by Count Bernstorff as a password. Bolo 
laughed at this and said the allegation was preposter- 
ous. He also dismissed the Bernstorff- Von Jagow cor- 
respondence as unworthy of notice. " The telegrams/* 
he said, '' are fabrications." 

There were many witnesses examined during the 
days the trial lasted, and one of the most interesting 
— from a minor standpoint — was Madame Marie 



BOLO PASHA 243 

La f argue, who, at one time, had been a conspicuous 
figure at the court of Abbas Hilmi, the Khedive of 
Egypt. She had been in the room when Bolo loftily 
declared that money meant nothing to him, and that 
he did not even take the trouble to keep an account of 
his business transactions. His nose was tilted to an 
unusual altitude when she declared, on the witness 
stand, that Bolo had once loaned her 20,000 francs, 
but only on condition that she give him a mortgage 
on her property, as well as a note signed by her 
mother, her two brothers, and herself. Far from be- 
ing indifferent and careless, she said he had played the 
part of a shrewd and exacting business man all through 
the transaction. 

Bolo watched her closely while she told her story, 
and after she had concluded, he remarked in a tone of 
bored indifference: 

" I have no recollection of ever having loaned this 
woman any money." 

The audience in the hearing room became quite 
eager when Charles F. Bertelli, head of the Paris 
Bureau of the International News Service, took the 
stand. He said that he had accompanied Bolo to 
New York and had introduced him to Mr. Hearst. 
Bolo had talked like a true patriot, and Mr. Hearst 
thought he was doing France honor by receiving the 
Levantine financier, whom he believed to be a distin- 
guished citizen of the French Republic. 

There was a ripple of excitement when the second 
wife of the defendant took the stand. Madame Bolo 
proved to be a strong witness for the accused. She 



244 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

took pains to deny the stories which had appeared 
in some of the French papers accusing Bolo of having 
dissipated her fortune. She said that he not only 
had not been guilty of that, but that he had invested her 
funds so well and so wisely that her fortune had been 
augmented. She was sure that he was a patriot. 
She was positive that the charges against him were 
false, for on landing in France after he had visited 
America, he had said to her with much fervor : 

" Fm so glad to be safe in France again! I was 
in mortal fear that the Germans would have me tor- 
pedoed ! " 

Was that, she asked, the language of a man who 
was engaged in betraying his country? Was it not 
more like that of one who is loyal? Bolo smiled at 
her and she returned the smile. The unspoken com- 
munication seemed to say " All will yet be well and 
we shall be together again.'' 

Senator Charles Humbert was called to the stand 
to rehearse the story of how Bolo had sought to pur- 
chase an interest in that publication, and how he 
had actually done so. He admitted the transaction, 
but insisted that he believed that Bolo was a true 
Frenchman, and that he never suspected for a mo- 
ment that there was any hidden motive in the deal 
for the bonds of the newspaper. The prosecutor 
subjected Senator Humbert to a grilling cross-exam- 
ination, and the witness finally became very much 
irritated. 

" Have mc arrested if you will,*' he cried. " Place 
me in the dock and make a frontal attack on me, but 



BOLO PASHA 245 

while I am here as a witness, do not treat me as the 
accused ! " 

His friends were out in force, and this declaration 
was received with loud cheers. The President of the 
Court rapped for order and threatened to clear the 
room if the demonstration was repeated. Such are 
the ways of a French court. 

Monsignor Bolo, the brother of the accused, made 
an earnest appeal for the prisoner. He was asked 
and answered a number of questions, but his remarks 
were more in the nature of an appeal for clemency 
than anything else. He assured the Court that he 
was an ardent patriot first of all, and that he came 
there to defend his brother because he did not be- 
lieve that he was mentally responsible for the mis- 
takes he might have made. Whatever these mistakes 
might have been, he felt certain that deliberate dis- 
loyalty was not one of them. He ridiculed the idea 
that a man of the world, so cynically clever as Count 
Bernstorff, could have mistaken Bolo for an impor- 
tant political personage. He scoffed at the notion that 
any of the references in the Bernstorff letter were to 
the prisoner. He made much of the fact that Hugo 
Schmidt and Pavenstedt, who were among Bolo's ac- 
cusers, were now in prison detention camps as enemies 
of the Allied cause. It was an eloquent effort, and 
it evidently made some impression upon the spectators, 
although the members of the Court listened in stolid 
silence. 

Albert Salles, attorney for Bolo, made the final 
plea for the prisoner. He charged that a newspaper 



246 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

campaign had been made on Bolo, and said that it 
had been instituted by Senator Humbert, after the 
Senator had failed to induce Bolo to sell back the 
stock of Le Journal at half the price he had paid for it. 
He censured the Military Governor of Paris for his 
pre-judgment of the case before it came to trial, and 
declared that the veriest principles of elementary law 
which presupposes a man innocent until he is proven 
guilty, had been disregarded. He complained of a 
mass of evidence which had been introduced regard- 
ing the past life of the defendant and said that one 
might suppose that he was being tried for theft and 
bigamy rather than treason. He bitterly arraigned 
the prominent men of Paris who were once glad to be 
the guests of Bolo and to dine at his table, and who 
had now eagerly come forward to bear witness against 
him. He reviewed the evidence to prove that it was 
inconclusive and circumstantial, and concluded a really 
able address by exclaiming: 

" Do not condemn Bolo Pasha to satisfy public 
opinion. Do not condemn him to satisfy public pas- 
sion. Please do not permit yourselves to be the 
cause of a miscarriage of justice that will be bitterly 
regretted in after years." 

The Court retired to deliberate while Bolo con- 
gratulated his advocate upon his. address. But his 
action was perfunctory. It was plain to be seen 
that he was depressed. He had lost his gay and easy 
manners. He acted like a man who is about to feel 
the heavy hand of Fate. And he was not mistaken. 
The Court was out for only fifteen minutes, and when 



BOLO PASHA 247 

the members resumed their seats it was to permit the 
President to announce that they had unanimously 
agreed that Bolo Pasha was guilty of treason. He 
was condemned to death, and was shot by a firing squad 
at Versailles on the morning of April 17, 19 18. 

Thus ends the story of the life and adventures and 
the tragic death of this remarkable man. He was con- 
victed upon circumstantial evidence, but such evi- 
dence in the minds of many jurists is more reliable 
than direct testimony. Men may give false testimony, 
they say, but circumstances never err. In France the 
memory of Bolo is regarded in much the same light 
as is that of Benedict Arnold in America. Yet even 
those who condemn the man cannot find it in their 
hearts to regard him as a deliberate and unmitigated 
scoundrel. The lure of easy money was there, but 
if we accept the pleas of his intimates, he may have 
been the victim of a false conscience, and a distorted, 
if not an unbalanced, intellect. He paid the penalty, 
and with him there died in France that dangerous 
thing which the authorities at the time denominated 
'' Boloism." 



XI 



THE STORY OF LIEUTENANT ROBERT 
FAY AND THE SHIP BOMB PLOTS 



XI 

THE STORY OF LIEUTENANT ROBERT 
FAY AND THE SHIP BOMB PLOTS 

ONE afternoon in the summer of 191 5 a stranger 
with a Teutonic cast of countenance, and a 
slight German accent, called at the French 
Chamber of Commerce, in New York City, and asked 
if he could obtain a small quantity of trinitrotoluol 
which he said he desired to use for commercial pur- 
poses. 

It was that incident — apparently trivial — which 
let to the first clue in the amazing adventure of Robert 
Fay and the ship bomb plots. 

The alert official in charge of the place was quick 
to scent something out of the ordinary. The extent 
and the boldness of the German propaganda in the 
United States was only beginning to be glimpsed at 
that time, and the casual inquiry was the means of 
starting an investigation which was to disclose one of 
the most damnable plots of the Great World War. 
The clue in itself was a tiny one, but it illustrated 
the contention of a famous American detective that 
the greatest criminals, despite the most painstaking 
care, nearly always fail to cover their tracks. It has 
been proven time and time again that the most per- 

251 



252 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

feet alibi has in it somewhere a flaw which is the 
means eventually of bringing the guilty man to justice. 
In the same manner the most carefully devised crim- 
inal plots have in them a break, a crack, an imperfec- 
tion which lead their inventors into the meshes of 
the law. 

It proved to be so in the case under consideration, 
although at the time no one dreamed that the results 
were to be so important and so far-reaching to the 
United States and its future Allies. 

The matter was immediately reported to the au- 
thorities, and then began a search and a chase that is 
unique in the history of the criminal records of the 
nation. At that early date in the war the various 
bureaus of investigation in this country were just 
beginning to coordinate their work. It was realized 
that the German system of treachery was so widely 
scattered, and was being practiced on such a broad 
scale that the best efforts of the official police were 
needed to frustrate and punish the efforts of the 
enemy. It is not permissible, even now, to give the 
names of those who took part in the patriotic work 
of rounding up the conspirators, but it is sufficient 
to say that the major part of the business fell to 
the Bureau of Investigation of the United States 
Department of Justice, and that Chief Flynn, of 
the United States Secret Service, also deserves credit 
for his assistance in this connection. 

The preliminary examination demonstrated that the 
man who had made the request for the high explosive 
from the French Chamber of Commerce was merely 



LIEUTENANT ROBERT FAY 253 

an instrument in the hands of cleverer and more 
unscrupulous men. It was decided that he should 
be given a small quantity of the deadly stuff, and that 
it should be carefully followed to its ultimate destina- 
tion. That led the detectives to a man named Op- 
pegaard, who proved to have some knowledge of 
chemicals and explosives. So far, so good. But Op- 
pegaard, important as he proved to be as a link 
in the chain, was not the man the authorities 
wanted. It was ascertained that the individual 
with the Teutonic name had recently purchased a 
considerable quantity of chlorate of potash, and 
finally the potash and the trinitrotoluol were 
traced to the door of Robert Fay, a native of 
Germany who had been an officer in the German 
Army. 

The police were '' getting warm," as the children 
say in their game of hide and seek. Every agency 
in the United States was put to work ascertaining the 
story of the life of Robert Fay. It was a most diffi- 
cult task, and the details involved investigations on 
both sides of the Atlantic. The story of how that 
biography was obtained, from the time of Fay's birth 
until that day when the inquiry was made at the 
French Chamber of Commerce, would require an ar- 
ticle in itself. But the puzzling details would have 
but little interest to the reader. It is sufficient to 
say that the industry, the cleverness and the patriotism 
of the investigators reflected credit upon all who were 
engaged in the task, and proved that when it came 
to efficiency, the boasted German system was not one 



254 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

bit superior to the painstaking methods of the Ameri- 
can Secret Service. 

It was ascertained that Robert Fay was an ardent 
German. He believed that the ** Fatherland " was 
the greatest nation in the world, and he felt that it 
was his duty to do anything in his power to help 
it conquer the earth. He came to America originally 
in 1902, and worked for many months on a farm in 
Manitoba. After that he journeyed to the United 
States, where he found employment with a machinery 
concern. Also, he took a course in electrical and 
steam engineering. While here, he learned to speak 
and write English. He went back to Germany four 
years later — well equipped for any work the Kaiser 
might have for him to do. 

When the war began in 19 14, Robert Fay found 
himself an officer in the German Army. He served 
with distinction in the early part of the struggle, 
and his name is found among those who took part 
in campaigns in the Vosges Mountains and in the 
Champagne sector. He attracted the attention of his 
superiors on one memorable occasion when he led 
a detachment of his men against a large force of 
French soldiers. He came out of that alive and 
was given the Order of the Iron Cross. 

In the meantime he was not satisfied with playing 
the part of an ordinary soldier. He was a thought- 
ful man, and it began to dawn upon him that large 
quantities of war material were being supplied to 
the Allies by the United States. Fay went to his 
superiors and told them that if Germany was to 




Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 

LIEUTENANT ROBERT FAY 



LIEUTENANT ROBERT FAY 255 

be successful it would be necessary to head off the 
constant supply of munitions of war which were com- 
ing from America. They laughed at him and as- 
sured him that he had not made an original discov- 
ery by any means. 

" Now," said the officer to whom he had addressed 
himself, " if you were able to give us some method 
for stopping these munitions, you might be able to 
do something for the Fatherland." 

The officer smiled at his own conceit. He never 
dreamed that this enthusiastic Teuton had been pon- 
dering upon this very point for many days and nights. 

"If," said Fay, in effect, ''you will give me the 
authority and a sufficient amount of money, I will 
undertake to stop American shipping from bringing 
supplies to Europe j " 

The intensity of this ardent German aroused the 
interest of his superiors. He was taken to some of 
the higher officers of the Army, and after he had con- 
fided his plans to his superiors he was given a secret 
mission to the United States. He was supplied with 
passports, letters of introduction, and a large amount 
of money. He sailed on the steamship Rotterdam 
and reached New York on April 2^, 1915. 

A few weeks after that, curious observers in the 
neighborhood might have noticed a new place of busi- 
ness in the town of Weehawken, in New Jersey. It 
was called the " Riverside Garage," and was ostensibly 
intended to fill a long-felt want in the community. 
Curiously enough, the owners were Robert Fay and 
Walter Scholz. Scholz was a mechanical engineer 



256 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

who had formerly been employed by the Lackawanna 
Railroad Company. He was also the brother-in-law 
of Fay, a fact that might have great or little sig- 
nificance, according to the point of view of the ob- 
server. 

The strange part of the Riverside Garage was that 
little or no actual work was performed there. The 
place was littered with broken-down motor cars and 
parts of cars, but no one could testify that the con- 
cern really transacted any business. On more than 
one occasion an automobilist had his car towed in 
distress to the Riverside Garage, but in each instance 
he was directed to go elsewhere for his repairs. 

Fay and Scholz had rooms in a boarding-house near 
the garage, and it was learned that they spent all of 
their time working upon a mechanical device that had 
been conceived by Fay. A light in the window testi- 
fied that they spent many hours of the night poring 
over blueprints and making drawings. 

In the meanwhile both Fay and Scholz made fre- 
quent trips to New York City and returned with 
material intended for the device upon which they 
were working. 

The special detectives of the Bureau of Investiga- 
tion made another discovery about this time. They 
found that Fay had purchased a little motor boat, 
and when he was not at the Weehawk^n garage 
or in the modest boarding-house, he was cruising about 
the New York harbor and making himself familiar 
with the shipping. He haunted the docks during the 
day and went out with his little boat at night. It 



LIEUTENANT ROBERT FAY 257 

was noticed that he paid special attention to the 
ships that were loaded with supplies for the Allies. 
By this time it became perfectly clear that Fay was 
engaged in the construction of a device with which 
he intended to blow up ships bound for England and 
France. 

The business of the authorities from this time for- 
ward was to keep close watch on Fay, and to permit 
him to go far enough to supply them with legal evi- 
dence upon which he could be convicted in a court of 
law. At the same time it was important that he 
should not be permitted to destroy any of the ship- 
ping. 

Finally the conspirator reached a stage in his ex- 
periments when it would be necessary for him to have 
a practical demonstration of his invention. He needed 
a secluded spot for this purpose, some place far from 
the madding crowd and, at the same time, large enough 
to experiment with dangerous explosives. He found 
the place he wanted in Lush's Sanatorium in New 
Jersey. He located there, and from time to time 
sent to New York for materials. He needed chlorate 
of potash and he managed to get it through a New 
York man, Carl Oppegaard, whose name has already 
been mentioned in this narrative. Oppegaard was told 
to get two hundred pounds of this material, but he 
did better than that — he purchased three cases, each 
holding over one hundred pounds. 

Fay also discovered before he had gone very far 
that he would need a quantity of dynamite, and this 
he succeeded in getting without any difficulty, but 



258 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

when he made the mixture of chlorate of potash and 
dynamite he found that it was not exactly what he 
wanted. He needed a still greater explosive. It was 
Oppegaard who gave him the missing link. He told 
Fay that what he needed was trinitrotoluol. He could 
not get it himself, so he employed a friend to secure 
it for him. This friend scoured all of New York and 
finally obtained it, as already indicated, at the French 
Chamber of Commerce. That, needless to say, was 
the final undoing of Fay and his fellow conspirators. 
They had covered up all their tracks — so they sup- 
posed — but one little spot was left bare, and it ex- 
posed the whole damnable plot. 

The Bureau of Investigation of the Department of 
Justice was now constantly on the heels of all the men 
concerned in the conspiracy. They followed them 
to the sanatorium at Butler, New Jersey. It was a 
dramatic scene that occurred on that afternoon in 
the summer of 19 15. Fay and his friends began to 
make experiments with the material which he had 
prepared after so many weeks of study and hard work. 
A can of it was placed in the hollow of a large tree. 
Just what would have happened can never be told, for 
at that moment an unexpected slip precipitated the 
climax of the whole business. 

The detectives had concealed themselves behind, 
trees and were waiting for the explosion to occur. 
Just at a critical moment one of the investigators gave 
a loud and violent sneeze, and in that second the 
presence of the detectives was revealed. There was 
nothing for them to do but to make the arrests at 



LIEUTENANT ROBERT FAY 259 

once, and in a few hours Fay and his fellow con- 
spirators were lodged in prison cells in Manhattan. 

Word was telegraphed to New York at once, and 
other investigators proceeded to carry out their in- 
structions. The first party made a search of the 
Riverside Garage and secured evidence which played 
its part in the formal trial. The second detachment 
made their way into and searched the warehouse where 
Fay had a lot of his stuff concealed, and a third 
party of detectives entered the house where the motor 
boat was stored and confiscated it as part of the evi- 
dence in the case. 

The exhibits were numerous and more than suffi- 
cient to prove the criminal activity of these over- 
zealous Germans. The net which had been so care- 
fully spread out now closed in on Robert Fay, and 
he was formally committed to await trial in the United 
States Courts. 

The device which he had invented showed remark- 
able mechanical ingenuity. It was so arranged that 
it could be attached to the rudder of a ship going out 
to sea. After a certain number of revolutions of the 
machinery and the device a spring would drive down- 
ward, strike a cap and then the explosion would occur. 
It was so timed that a vessel would be several miles 
from port before the explosion would occur. By this 
horrible device it would have been possible — if the 
conspirators had not been caught — to have practically 
destroyed all of the shipping intended for the Allies. 

The United States authorities were perfectly satis- 
fied that this cold-blooded scheme was well known 



260 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

to the military and naval officials of Germany — in- 
deed, it was proven that Fay had taken his inven- 
tion to Von Papen. He admitted this, but tried to 
shield that functionary by saying that he had declined 
to go into the business. 

" What happened when you explained this device 
to Von Papen?'' the defendant was asked. 

" Not much," was the reply. *' He asked me what 
it would cost, and I told him that the bombs would 
not be more than twenty dollars apiece. As a mat- 
ter of fact, I could have made these things in Germany 
for half that price. ' If it doesn't cost more than 
that,' Von Papen said to me, ' go ahead, but I can- 
not promise you anything.' " 

" Did you go back to him ? " Fay was asked. 

" Yes, I did, and he turned me down. He said the 
thing would be placed before the German experts, and 
that he had also gone into the political condition of 
the whole suggestion and he said to me : ' In the 
first place our experts report that this apparatus is not 
sea-worthy, but as regards political conditions I am 
sorry to say we cannot consider it, and therefore we 
shall have to dismiss the whole business." 

The trial of Fay and the other defendants was a 
long-drawn-out affair, but there was never any doubt 
about the result. The examination of the witnesses 
and their cross-examination was valuable because it 
brought out under oath many things that had hitherto 
been a matter of conjecture and mere rumor. It 
proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that there were 
men in the United States who thought more of Ger- 



LIEUTENANT ROBERT FAY 261 

many than they did of their American citizenship. 
But it also had the effect of asserting the majesty of 
the law in a most impressive manner, and there is no 
manner of doubt but that the prompt conviction of 
Fay put a wet blanket on pro-German activities in the 
United States. 

He tried his best to acquit the German Government 
of complicity in the affair, and he insisted that Von 
Papen had not encouraged him, but the jury found 
him guilty as charged, and he was sentenced to seven 
years in a Federal penitentiary where he might have 
had plenty of time for reflecting upon the folly of his 
misguided zeal for the Fatherland, but it only needed 
one more touch to round out this remarkable incident, 
and Fay, himself, furnished it. He escaped from the 
penitentiary, and, it is generally believed, went into 
Mexico. 



XII 

RAM CHANDRA AND THE GERMAN- 
HINDU PLOTS IN THE UNITED 
STATES 



XII 

RAM CHANDRA AND THE GERMAN- 
HINDU PLOTS IN THE UNITED 
STATES 

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON, Rudyard Kip- 
ling and Clark Russell, in collaboration, could 
not have written a more thrilling tale of fiction 
than we have in the actual story of Germany's at- 
tempt to incite revolution in India. The fact that 
the plot began in the United States, and that Germany 
made use of our neutrality to carry on a conspiracy 
against a nation with whom we were on friendly terms 
is the most reprehensible phase of the disgraceful busi- 
ness. The three stars in this drama from real life 
were Dr. C. K. Chakraberty, Ram Chandra and Bhag- 
wan Singh. The authority for the movement is fur- 
nished by the following communication from the Ger- 
man Secretary of Foreign Affairs : 

Berlin, 4th February, 19 16. 
To the German Embassy, Washington. 

In the future all Indian affairs are to be handled 
through the Committee to be formed by Dr. Cha- 
kraberty. Dhirenda Sarkar and Heramba Lai 
Gupta, who has meanwhile been expelled from 
Japan, will cease to be independent representatives of 
the Indian Independence Committee existing here. 

ZiMMERMANN. 
265 



266 THE WOELD'S GEEATEST SPIES 

This Doctor Chakraberty had been a school teacher 
and journalist in India. While there he was the mem- 
ber of an organization which aimed to overthrow the 
British Government in India, and if necessary to use 
force to do it. He confessed that he had been fur- 
nished with $60,000 by the Indian Nationalist Party, 
that the money came from the German Government, 
and that it was forwarded to him in this country 
after he had been expelled from India by the British 
Government. 

The Hindu revolutionists in America were located 
in San Francisco, where they published a newspaper 
known as The Ghadr, meaning mutiny. If there is 
any doubt about this it may be dispelled by reading 
the announcement in the first issue of that paper 
which says : " To-day there begins in foreign lands, 
but in our country's tongue, a war against the British 
Raj. What is our name? Mutiny. What is our 
work? Mutiny. Where will mutiny break out? In 
India. The time will come soon when rifles and blood 
will take the place of pens and ink." That this was 
not mere idle gossip is proven by the events which 
followed one another in quick succession. The first 
move is shown by the following statement made to 
an agent of the Department of Justice by Captain 
Hans Tauscher, a representative of German munition 
makers : 

Feb. 8, 19 1 6. 
About the end of September, 19 14, I was asked 

by the military attache of the German Embassy, 

Captain F. von Papen, to buy about 10,000 rifles 



RAM CHANDRA 267 

with ammunition, and a number of revolvers with 
ammunition, to be shipped for a special purpose 
to San Diego, Cal. Therefore, I purchased from 
several dealers in this country . . . the following 
arms and ammunition : 

8,080 U. S. Springfield rifles 45/70 cal. 
2,400 '' " carbines " 

410 repeating rifles, system Hotchkiss, 
45/70 
3^904,340 cartridges, 45/70 

5,000 cartridge belts 
500 Colt revolvers, cal. 45 
100,000 Colt revolver cartridges, cal. 45 

In order to make this shipment as secretly as pos- 
sible, I decided to ship the above arms and ammuni- 
tion in the name of my forwarding agent, Walter 
C. Hughes, who also acted as the receiver of the 
shipment in San Diego, Cal. . . . All expenses in- 
volved in this transaction were paid by me, and I was 
reimbursed by Captain von Papen by check. 

Later on, after the shipment had failed to reach 
its destination and was landed at the port of 
Hoquiam, Washington, Captain von Papen in- 
formed me that he had told the State Department 
in Washington that this shipment of arms and am- 
munition was ultimately destined for German South 
African colonies. 

H. Tauscher. 

The scene now shifts to San Diego, California, 
where the Annie Larsen was loaded with the arms and 
ammunition with the understanding that they were 
to be eventually transferred to another ship called 
the Maverick, Through a series of misadventures 



268 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the connection was never made. It seems that the 
Annie Larsen was compelled to make a run to the 
Mexican coast for water. Eventually the shipment 
was seized by the United States Government authori- 
ties at the port of Hoquiam, Washington. Later, 
Count Bernstorff had the audacity to write to Secre- 
tary of State Lansing, asking for the delivery of the 
arms and ammunition to the German Consul in Seat- 
tle. " You will note," he whites, " that my Govern- 
ment is the owner of these articles, although the man- 
ner and means of shipment was left to a shipping agent 
at San Francisco." 

The voyage of the Maverick, which the Annie Lar- 
sen missed at Socorro Island, has been narrated to 
the British authorities at Singapore, by J. H. Starr 
Hunt, the purser. Hunt was an American and he 
was asked by his employer, F. Jebsen, to sail as a purser 
on the Maverick. He was told that the war material 
would be transhipped to the Maverick at whatever 
point they should meet in Mexican or Central Ameri- 
can waters ; that a man named Page, who would be on 
the Annie Larsen, was to take charge of the Maverick, 
and that Hunt was to take over the Annie Larsen and 
proceed to trade with her. Hunt was not to return 
to any American port until after the expiration of six 
months. 

On the morning of April 22, 191 5, when the ship 
sailed from Los Angeles, Jebsen gave Hunt a sealed 
letter, unaddressed, with instruction to hand it over to 
Page on the Annie Larsen when he made himself 
known. He also gave Hunt another unaddressed letter 



RAM CHANDRA 269 

to be given to the same man. This was open and 
contained a printed enclosure explaining how to work 
the machine gun or a small Hotchkiss. Jebsen finally 
gave Hunt a third letter, without address and open, for 
Page. It contained typewritten instructions as to how 
to stow the cargo transhipped from the Annie Larsen. 
The narrative of Hunt continues as follows : 

" It is said that the cases containing rifles were 
to be stored in one of the two empty tanks of the 
Maverick (she had been an oil carrier) and flooded 
with oil. The ammunition cases were to be stowed 
in the other empty tank, which was not to be flooded 
except as a last resort . . . Jebsen had given me to 
understand that we might meet the Annie Larsen 
at San Jose del Cabo, but she was not there ; so we 
left that port on the 28th of April and proceeded to 
Socorro Island where we arrived on the 29th. . . . 

" Altogether we were 29 days at that island wait- 
ing for the schooner, which did not turn up after 
all. By the time we had anchored it was very dark, 
and the first sign of life on the island was a camp- 
fire close to the shore. Shortly after a small^ boat 
pulled alongside with two American sailors in it. 
One of them came to the bridge and saw the Cap- 
tain and after putting the question, * Are you the 
people who are looking for the Annie Larsen/ and 
getting a reply in the aflirmative, he said that the 
Annie Larsen had been at the island and being short 
of water had left some 13 days before. 

" He delivered a note to Nelson stating that it was 
left by the Annie Larsen' s supercargo, Page. Nel- 
son passed the note over to me to read. It was a 
short note in English saying, * This will be delivered 
to you by a member of the crew of the schooner 



270 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

Emma who will explain his own position. I have 
been waiting for you a month and am now going to 
the Mexican west coast for supplies and water. I 
will return as soon as possible. Please await my 
return.' Signed, ' Page,' initials (I think), A. W." 

Hunt then tells that on May 26, or about that date, 
they left Socorro Island and returned to San Diego, 
searching on the way for the Annie Larsen. After 
reaching there Nelson was instructed to proceed to 
Hilo, Hawaii, and then to Anjer, Java. 

After leaving Anjer, Hunt read the sealed letter 
given him at San Francisco for Page. It contained 
instructions for the officers of the Maverick, which 
were thus reproduced by Hunt from memory: 

" Upon the meeting of the Annie Larsen with the 
Maverick, the transshipment of the cargo must be 
commenced at once. — The cases containing rifles 
should be stowed in one of the two empty tanks and 
flooded, and the cases of ammunition should be 
placed in the other, but need not be flooded unless as 
a last resort. . . . No attempt was to be made to es- 
cape from British warships if encountered at sea. 

*' In case of her meeting a warship she (the Mav- 
erick) should act in a manner absolutely open and 
above suspicion. In case of her being boarded by 
enemy officers all cordiality should be shown to 
them, and in fact an inspection should actually be 
offered to put them off their suspicion. Under no 
condition was the steamer or the cargo to be per- 
mitted to fall into their hands. Should the cargo 
be discovered and should there be no escape from 
capture, the captain was ordered not to hesitate to 
have recourse to the last resort, namely, to sink the 
ship. Upon arriving at Anjer the Maverick would 



RAM CHANDRA 271 

be met in the Sunda Straits by a small, friendly boat 
which would instruct us regarding further details. 
Should we not be met at Anjer, we were to proceed 
to Bangkok, where we were to arrive towards dusk. 
Here we should be met by a German pilot, who 
would give us further instruction; should we not 
he met here also, we were to proceed to Kurrache. 
Outside Kurrache the Maverick was to be met by 
numerous small friendly fishing craft. The fishing 
craft together with the five blacks (Hindus) aboard 
would attend to the unloading and landing of the 
cargo. 

" Two of the blacks should go ashore immediately 
on arrival and proceed inland to notify our arrival 
to the people. The remaining three blacks and the 
friendly natives would assist in burying the cargo. 
(Hunt states that they had picks and shovels on 
board from the time of their departure. From 
Anjer the Maverick sailed to Batavia where Hunt 
met Theodore and Emil Helffereich, who were 
in the plot, and gave him the following informa- 
tion.) Helffereich remarked that the arrangements 
made at this end were substantially the same as those 
indicated in the letter (for Page). 

" Emil spoke up and said that he had waited for 
the Maverick three weeks in the Sunda Straits. 
They deeply regretted the failure of the Maverick 
in not bringing the arms and said that their ar- 
rangements this side were excellent and complete 
and they were only awaiting the arrival of the cargo 
when they could have easily put the whole scheme 
through. They observed that the people in India 
were all ready and prepared and had only been wait- 
ing for the arms to turn up. . . ." 

There was more to the same effect. In fact, the 



272 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

statement of Purser Hunt would make a story in 
itself, but enough has been given to clearly expose 
the purpose to create a revolution in India. It has 
been estimated that it cost the German Government 
a million dollars. The net result was a dismal fail- 
ure — a failure that made the German conspirators 
look silly. 

The connection of Ram Chandra and Bhagwan 
Singh with the fiasco was clearly established. Both 
were working under the direction of Wilhelm von 
Brincken, the military attache of the German Consulate 
at San Francisco. Ram Chandra was probably the most 
active of all. At one time he managed the affairs 
of the Hindu Pacific Coast Association and later 
he was the editor of the Ghadr. There were jealous- 
ies, however, between Ram Chandra and Bhagwan 
Singh. The last named was known as " the poet and 
the orator " of the Hindu organization. Both were 
thrifty men, and it is suggested that much of the money 
which they obtained from the Germans was invested in 
real estate on the Pacific Coast. At one stage of the 
movement Singh accused Chandra of misappropriating 
funds. As a result of this Chandra was expelled from 
the Pacific Coast Association. Bhagwan Singh not 
only became the head of the organization, but was 
elected editor of the Ghadr. Need it be said that 
these internal dissensions aided the United States 
authorities in obtaining evidence against the conspira- 
tors? 

No one felt more bitterly the failure of the whole 
scheme than Von Brincken, the military attache of 




RAM CHANDRA 



RAM CHANDRA 273 

the German Consulate. He had the German habit of 
efficiency. This caused him to write a report of his 
activities. It was intended for the German Foreign 
Office. It found its way to the United States At- 
torney at San Francisco. In this report this servant 
of Germany said: 

" I compHed with instructions and met Ram Chan- 
dra and other leaders of the Hindu Nationalists, and 
there laid the foundations for the entire Hindu work 
which has since been carried out here on the Pacific. 
. . . Up to the present date I have fulfilled this as- 
signment entirely alone. . . . Mr. Von Schack has 
seen Ram Chandra only a few times during the en- 
tire period — while Consul-General Bopp saw the man 
only once. I had nothing to do with the ship matters 
in connection with the Hindu affair. Therefore, I am 
not responsible for the failure of the Maverick ex- 
pedition. I had only planned the point of landing 
at Kurrache. Besides, through messengers, I had pre- 
pared the populace of the Punjab for the arrival of 
the Maverick/' 

It has been said that the Germans thought we 
wouldn't fight. They must have thought we were 
stupid into the bargain. By this time it must be 
clear that they were mistaken in both surmises. 
All the while the German-Hindu conspiracy was be- 
ing hatched the secret officers of this Government were 
gathering evidence and waiting for a favorable mo- 
ment to strike. It came on the day after war was 
declared by the United States against Germany. 
Within twenty-four hours thirty-four German-Hindu 



274 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

plotters were arrested in various parts of this coun- 
try. 

The trial took place in San Francisco in the latter 
part of March, 19 18, and continued into the follow- 
ing month. The Federal officials had collected a mass 
of, evidence, all of which went to prove the connection 
of the German Consul-General in San Francisco and 
his staff with the proposed expedition against India. 
The following persons were indicted by the Grand 
Jury " for feloniously conspiring to set on foot a 
military enterprise to be carried on from within the 
territory of the United States against India ... the 
object and purpose being to initiate mutiny and armed 
rebellion in India and to overthrow the Government " : 
Franz Bopp, Eckhart H. von Schack, William von 
Brincken, Hans Tauscher, F. von Papen, George 
Rodiek (German Consul at Honolulu), Ernest Se- 
kunna, Wolf von Igel, Har Dayal, Ram Chandra, 
Bhagwan Singh, Chandra Kanta Chakraberty, and 
Haramba Lai Gupta. 

It was one of the most remarkable trials ever held 
in the United States, and it had an ending that was 
as dramatic as it was unexpected. There were books, 
papers, exhibits, cipher codes and testimony which 
proved the guilt of the chief defendants beyond the 
shadow of a doubt. On April 24 they were convicted 
by the jury. During all of the dreary days of the 
trial Ram Chandra and Bhagwan had been glaring 
at one another like tigers. Just before the noon recess 
Bhagwan pulled out a pistol and shot and killed Chan- 
dra. The United States Marshal, who was in attend- 



RAM CHANDRA 275 

ance at the trial, fearing that this was the first move in 
an attempt to save the prisoners, quickly pulled out his 
gun and shot and killed Bhagwan. 

I cannot conclude this chapter better than by quot- 
ing from the pamphlet issued by the Committee on 
Public Information of the United States Government. 
In commenting on this attempt to incite revohition 
in India, Professor Sperry, who assembled all of the 
facts, says: 

" The commander-in-chief of Germany's agents 
here was Count Johann von Bernstorff, Imperial 
German Ambassador to the United States. His 
coadjutor and able adviser during some months was 
Constantin Theodor Dumba, the Austro-Hungarian 
Ambassador. His chief lieutenants in the execu- 
tion of his plans were Captain Franz von Papen, 
military attache of the German Embassy, Captain 
Karl Boy-Ed, its naval attache, Dr. Heinrich F. 
Albert, commercial attache, and Wolf von Igel, who 
also had diplomatic status. Assisting this central 
group were many of the consuls of Germany and 
Austria-Hungary scattered over the United States, 
and beneath them were the rank and file of obscure 
servitors who carried out the plans conceived by the 
General Staff in Berlin and sent to the German Am- 
bassador." 



XIII 

THE SOLDIER OF FORTUNE WHO BE- 
CAME A GERMAN SPY 



XIII 

THE SOLDIER OF FORTUNE WHO BE- 
CAME A GERMAN SPY 

THIS is a movie story, taken from actual life in 
the world's greatest war. That is to say 
it has all of the ingredients of a movie 
thriller, the only drawback being that the real facts in 
the case might seem improbable to the average movie 
audience. There is a real Ambassador in it, and a 
trial by court-martial, and a soldier of fortune who 
accepts his fate with the air of a stoic. 

Henry Bode, known at various times as Herbert 
Wilson, Henry Wilson, and Rafael Rodriguez, was 
born at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, September 3, 1877, 
of an educated and well-to-do family. Six years later 
he was taken to Hawaii. He remained in that tropical 
land until he was thirteen years of age, and then he 
decided to see more of the world on his own account. 
Accordingly, he secreted himself in the hold of a 
vessel bound for San Francisco, and arrived in that 
city in the latter part of 1890. He lived a Bohemian 
sort of existence for a few months and then traveled 
across the continent to New York. Even that lively 
community could not satisfy his desire for constant 
change, so he enlisted in the United States Navy, 

where he lived the life of a bluejacket for three years. 

279 



280 THE WORLD ^S GREATEST SPIES 

In order to round out his education in the University 
of Hard Knocks, he went to Butte, Montana, where 
he worked as a miner. That gave him a taste of the 
gold fever, and he hurried off to the Klondyke, where 
he made a fortune in three months which he succeeded 
in dissipating at the gambHng table in three nights. 

This brief summary of an eventful career might 
seem like the complete story of an unusual life, but 
the life of Henry Bode was only beginning. He found 
that the First Montana Infantry was about to em- 
bark for the Philippines, and he enlisted with less 
thought than one might give to a journey from New 
York to Boston. There was some lively fighting, and 
it is to be said to the credit of the man of many names 
that he was frequently on the front line, and always 
gave a good account of himself. A book might be 
made of his adventures in the Philippines, and it is not 
hard to believe that one of his regrets was that he 
was not in the party sent to find the elusive Aguinaldo, 
who was somewhat of an adventurer himself. 

During his wanderings over the face of the earth 
Bode had found time to get married, but it is easy 
to understand that matrimony did not set easily upon 
this rolling stone. There was a separation, and 
shortly after his experience in the Philippines the 
young man looked with longing eyes in the direction 
of China. With him to think was to act, and we find 
him on his way to Shanghai, paying his passage by 
working before the mast. Once in the East, he joined 
the Russian Intelligence service and remained therein 
until the close of the Japanese-Russian War. He was 



A GERMAN SPY 281 

alert and intelligent and obtained much information for 
the Russian Government, although there is not much 
evidence to show that the high officials in St. Peters- 
burg profited thereby. He was here, there and every- 
where, and near the end of the war he found himself 
in the city of Seoul, Corea. 

In the capital city of the Hermit Nation the young 
adventurer found himself in an atmosphere that suited 
his purposes and his temperament. The high walls 
surrounding the town gave it an air of romance, and 
Bode roamed about inspecting the temples, the palaces 
and the government buildings, picking up information 
here and there, and altogether mixing business and 
pleasure in true Bohemian fashion. He made his 
headquarters in a house built of bamboo and plaster 
with straw thatching. While there he made the ac- 
quaintance of a German officer, and the two walked the 
badly-kept streets, and afterwards exchanged confi- 
dences over many a bottle. Bode liked his friend so 
well that he told him the story of his life. He even 
went so far as to tell him that he was in the service 
of the Russian Government. That was unfortunate 
for him, because the other immediately communicated 
the facts to the Japanese authorities. Instantly the 
police were sent to take him into custody. They lo- 
cated the house where he was staying. One squad 
watched the front of the bamboo hut, while another 
guarded the rear so that there should be no possibility 
of his escaping. 

While they waited for him to emerge a curious 'sight 
attracted their attention. An elderly woman came 



282 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

forth, leaning on a cane, and evidently moving with 
great difficulty. The dress of this strange creature 
was fantastic in the extreme, the poke bonnet espe- 
cially being a wonderfully made creation that evoked 
the laughter of the police. They asked her if Bode 
was in the hut, but she shook her head as though she 
could not understand their words, and pointed back 
at the house in an imbecilic sort of style. They 
watched the stranger until the last edge of her poke 
bonnet had disappeared around a corner, and then they 
went into the hut. They looked at one another in con- 
sternation, and well they might, for the place was 
empty. 

In the meanwhile things were happening in another 
part of the town. No sooner had the supposed female 
turned the corner than she cast aside the poke bonnet 
and the dress, and stood revealed as Henry Bode. A 
steamer was to sail for Yokohama in a short time and 
the dashing fellow sailed with it, without waiting to 
say good-by to the friends he had made in Seoul. He 
did not remain in Yokohama any longer than was 
necessary to ship for Shanghai. Once there he felt 
comparatively safe, for the Chinese had no love for the 
Japanese. Besides that. Bode felt at home in a city 
that contained thousands of white men, many of whom 
spoke the English language. He remained in Shang- 
hai for many weeks, enjoying himself better than the 
tourists, because his wants were few, and he let each 
succeeding day take care of itself. Most of the Eng- 
lish-speaking residents of Shanghai remain in the por- 
tions set aside for foreign settlements, but Bode was 



A GERMAN SPY 283 

quite as familiar with the native city, surrounded by 
its small wall. But this rolling stone could not remain 
in one place very long. It is true that he was still 
supposed to be> officially in the employ of the Russian 
Government, but that fact gave him no concern. He 
wanted to " move on." The opportunity came sooner 
than he expected. Governor Forbes' yacht touched 
at Shanghai, and Bode was permitted to go to Manila 
in the vessel. 

It happened that General Leonard Wood was on 
the yacht, and Bode managed to get into conversa- 
tion with the American soldier. The amazing knowl- 
edge of China which Bode displayed in his talk at- 
tracted the attention of General Wood, and it finally 
resulted in his employment in the Philippine Constabu- 
lary. The most remarkable trait about this really re- 
markable man was the ease with which he adapted 
himself to conditions. He was able to live on rice 
and dried fish, and he found his way about the coun- 
try in a way that astonished his superiors. The 
" little brown brothers " liked him, too, and it is fair 
to say that he was a success in his new post. But 
he soon returned to China, and this was followed 
by a trip through the South Seas, during which he 
visited many of the places made famous by Robert 
Louis Stevenson. Next we find him in California, 
and a little later in Madera's army. He did some 
real fighting, and if the Mexican General had been 
giving out medals Henry Bode would have been well 
decorated. It is not easy to follow his ever-changing 
career, but it is said that about this time he again en- 



284 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

listed in the American service, joining the army- 
Bode had a fatal facility for quitting a job when- 
ever he got tired of it. He tired of the army and he 
quit. Now, technically, this is called '* desertion," 
and it was here that the merry adventurer made a 
fatal mistake. He forgot that Uncle Sam never for- 
gets, and he never dreamt that he had woven a tangled 
web which was presently to be his undoing. He joined 
forces with General Urbina, and he was at Torreon, 
Mexico, when the Kaiser decided that treaties are 
only scraps of paper, and when he started out to con- 
quer the world. That was the sort of mad adven- 
ture which appealed to Bode, and he was filled with a 
desire to join the Germans. Also, it must be remem- 
bered that he was born in Wilhelmshaven, and con- 
sidered himself part of the Fatherland. 

He applied to the German Consul for transportation, 
but without success. But that did not deter him. He 
managed to reach the coast, and eventually arrived in 
Denmark. In the course of time he got into the fight- 
ing in Europe, serving under Field Marshal Macken- 
sen. According to the records, he was wounded twice 
and received the Iron Cross on May 19, 1915. He 
was also given the Austrian service medal for courage 
in battle. 

Now we come to that real part of this real movie 
which makes it rival anything the managers dare show 
on the screen. It can best be told in the words of a 
well-informed writer of the New York Sun who, with 
infinite patience and skill, has rescued the story from 
the records : 




Copyright by Keystone View Co., N. Y. 

HENRY BODE 



A GERMAN SPY 285 

" In the fall of 19 15 he was summoned to Berlin and 
assigned to the Intelligence Department. After hav- 
ing his photograph taken, seven hundred marks were 
given him and he was ordered to report to the Ger- 
man Consulate at 11 Broadway, New York. It was 
shortly before he sailed from Copenhagen on board 
the steamship Frederick III that he called at the 
American Embassy, a fact which resulted in his sub- 
sequent conviction before the court-martial here. 

*' The Frederick III left for New York October 
I5> 191 5> with Bode listed under the name of William 
Reed. The Prince and Princess von Hazenfeldt were 
also passengers. Upon arriving here Bode at once 
received $2,218 from the German Consul and started 
the same night on his way to San Francisco, whence 
he went to the Far East. Three months later he was 
on his way back to California on board the American 
steamship Maru, when a Russian general, who was a 
fellow passenger, became suspicious of him. So Bode 
went ashore at Honolulu, catching another liner two 
weeks later. After being ordered to New York and 
Havana and doing nothing in either city. Bode next 
went to Madrid, Spain, where he found himself under 
the surveillance of the Allied Secret Service. 

" On July 19, 19 1 6, acting on orders from Berlin, 
Bode obtained a Spanish passport under the name of 
Rafael Rodriguez Gomez and boarded the Maria 
Christiana for Vera Cruz, via Havana. 

" * I then proceeded to Mexico City,' said Bode in 
his testimony before the court-martial, ' and reported 
to the military attache, a Dr. Mangus. I also met Am- 



286 THE :WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

bassador von Eckhardt, and we talked plans over and 
he told me to wait the arrival of other agents, be- 
cause he disagreed with instructions I had from Ber- 
lin and was not sure of my identity. My instructions 
were to blow up the oil fields at Tampico and to 
embroil the United States into war with Mexico. 

" * Finally agents arrived from the States — Captain 
Hinze, formerly captain of the Hamburg- American 
Line, and Captain Nekker, who ran the blockade from 
Cuba to Baltimore in 1914, who is at present chief 
of the secret service at Mexico City, with Dr. Brown, 
once a surgeon on the German cruiser Karlsruhe, as 
his assistant. It was then agreed I was the most ca- 
pable man to carry out a project in the United States 
to blow up the Laguna Dam and destroy the railroad 
bridge at Yuma. 

" * Then came the opportunity for which I had been 
waiting, giving me a chance to connect with the United 
States Government. My instructions were to pro- 
ceed to Yuma and settle there to live. 

" * I was to obtain pictures of the bridge and sup- 
posed trenches and artillery casements and wire en- 
tanglements on the American side of the border.' 

" When Bode arrived at La Bolsa, at the mouth 
of the Colorado River, he was arrested by the Car- 
ranzista troops. He was later released and reached 
Padarones, where a German resident told him the 
Mexicans were about to ship him across the border, 
on suspicion that he was an American spy. Even- 
tually Bode crossed the line himself because, he testi- 
fied, ' I saw they were still bent on murdering peo- 



A GERMAN SPY 287 

pie/ He was taken to San Diego, and later brought 
to Governor's Island for trial." 

The feature of this trial was the testimony of Mrs. 
James W. Gerard, the wife of the former American 
Ambassador to Germany, and Frank Hall, Mr. Ger- 
ard's servant. Mrs. Gerard remembered that Bode 
had called at the American Embassy in Berlin, clothed 
in a German uniform, and wearing the Iron Cross upon 
his breast. Besides this, Hall recalled that Bode had 
approached him in Madrid, after the Gerard party had 
left Berlin, and had asked him to induce the Ambassa- 
dor to approach President Wilson with a view to secur- 
ing his pardon for desertion. 

He was acquitted of various charges, but was found 
guilty of violating the Ninety-fifth Article of War, 
in serving as a secret agent and emissary of the German 
Government at Einsenda, Mexico, about April 6, 19 17. 
The sentence was ten years at hard labor in the dis- 
ciplinary barracks at Fort Jay, Governor's Island. 

It is hard to bear much ill will to this amazing 
soldier of fortune. It is true that he violated the 
law, and that he is being properly punished, but it 
must not be forgotten that he was a German by birth, 
and that he was more of an adventurer than a traitor. 



XIV 

THE ARTLESS GERMAN WHO DYNA- 
MITED THE VANCEBORO BRIDGE 



XIV 

THE ARTLESS GERMAN WHO DYNA- 
MITED THE VANCEBORO BRIDGE 

SHORTLY before seven o'clock on the evening 
of December 30, 19 14, a big, light-complexioned 
German, carrying a brown suitcase, alighted 
from the train at Vanceboro, Maine, and stood look- 
ing about him in a perplexed manner. The man was 
Werner Horn, and the suitcase was filled with dyna- 
mite. Thereby hangs one of the most sensational tales 
of the war. 

It was bitter cold and the ground was covered with 
snow. Presently Werner Horn made his way to a 
woodpile on one of the sidings, and concealed his 
suitcase. Then he plodded in the direction of the 
Vanceboro bridge. This is not a very long span, but 
it is the connecting link between the United States 
and Canada in that locality, and once destroyed or 
put out of commission, it would be impossible to con- 
vey freight between the two countries. With true 
German thoroughness, Horn made a careful inspec- 
tion of the structure, and then, satisfied, returned to 
the village. He recovered his suitcase with its deadly 
contents, and inquired the way to the local hotel. It 
was the Vanceboro Exchange Hotel, and here the Ger- 

291 



292 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

man emissary obtained a room for the night. He 
went to bed and slept like a child. 

The following day, while he was absent, one of 
the employees of the hotel happened to enter the room 
and, in cleaning it, moved the suitcase. The woman, 
for it was a woman, marveled at the great weight 
of the baggage and wondered how^ any man could 
carry it. That was one little detail that cast suspicion 
upon the unknown stranger. But there were others. 
A boy and two young women had seen him in the act 
of hiding his suitcase behind the woodpile, and they 
had told one of the men of the town and he, in turn, 
had notified the inspector at the Immigrant Station. 
Evidently Werner Horn was an unsophisticated per- 
son, for he covered his tracks badly. Indeed, the in- 
spector met him that first evening as he was return- 
ing from the bridge. He demanded his name, and 
Horn, with a child-like grin, said that he was Olaf 
Hoorn, and that he was a Dane. 

The inspector was not acquainted with the Danish 
language, but from the stranger's odd way of ex- 
pressing himself there was no reason to doubt that 
part of his story. He wanted to know what he was 
doing in Vanceboro, and Horn told him that he 
thought of buying a farm in that section. Asked 
where he came from, the German said that he had 
come from New York by way of Boston. Evidently 
there was nothing he could do in the matter, and the 
inspector went his way and Werner Horn went to the 
Vanceboro hotel. He proceeded to his room at once, 
and during all of the following day made himself in- 



THE ARTLESS GERMAN 29S 



conspicuous. On Monday night he paid his bill and 
announced that he was going to Boston on the eight 
o'clock train. He marched out of the hotel, smoking 
a big cigar, and carrying the heavy suitcase. The 
proprietor of the hotel imagined that that was the last 
he was to see of his odd guest, but he was mistaken, 
as future events were to prove. 

Shortly after one o'clock on the following morning 
there was a terrific explosion that shook all Vanceboro. 
The glass in the windows of the hotel was shattered, 
and some persons were thrown from their beds. Men 
and women stuck their heads out of doorways and 
windows, and wondered if an earthquake had oc- 
curred. The landlord of the hotel hurried to the cellar 
of his house to ascertain if the boiler had burst. 
Everything was as right as right could be, and Mr. 
Tague, greatly puzzled, started for his bedroom. On 
the way he passed the bathroom, and to his surprise, 
beheld Werner Horn there running the hot water. 
The German displayed no confusion whatever, but 
wished his host a cheery " Good morning." 

" What seems to be the difficulty ? " asked the land- 
lord. 

" I freeze my hands," replied Horn, holding out his 
hands for the inspection of Mr. Tague; "you see, I 
freeze my hands. What should I do about it? " 

The hotel proprietor thought of the explosion, and 
then he considered the unexpected return of Werner 
Horn. He put two and two together, and he was 
satisfied that this child-like German was in some way 
responsible for the shock which had terrified Vance- 



294 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

boro. He opened the window of the bathroom and 
gave Horn snow to rub on his frozen fingers. After 
that the German asked for his old room. It had al- 
ready been given to another guest, but Horn was 
placed in an apartment on the third floor, and in 
spite of the excitement and his frost-bitten fingers, 
went to sleep. 

While this was going on, the people had hurried 
from their homes and were proceeding in the direction 
of the explosion. They found the bridge had been 
dynamited. It was not a total wreck by any means, 
but the rails, the rods and the girders had been twisted 
to such an extent that it would have been dangerous 
to use it. A hurried investigation showed that the 
dynamite had been exploded by means of a time fuse. 
The stuff had evidently been placed near a girder on 
the bridge above the Canadian bank of the river. 
Mr. Tague, who seems to have been wide awake, sent 
out a general alarm. First, precautions were taken 
to see that no train was permitted to cross the bridge. 
Fortunately, the schedule showed that none need be 
expected until the next morning. Next, plans were 
made to arrest all suspicious persons. The landlord 
felt morally certain that Werner Horn was the guilty 
man, but he wanted to make assurance doubly sure by 
including all possible suspects. 

In the meanwhile, by the use of a special train, the 
Superintendent of the Maine Central Railroad had 
arrived on the scene. The first man he interviewed 
was the deputy sheriff of the town. That official was 
candid, even if he did not throw much light upon the 



THE ARTLESS GERMAN 295 

business. He said : " I was asleep at my home, which 
is three or four hundred feet from the bridge; heard 
a noise about i.io a. m., which I thought was an 
earthquake, a collison of engines, or a boiler explosion 
in the heating plant. The noise disturbed me so that 
I could not gQt to sleep. I got up in the morning at 
about half-past five; met a man who said that they 
had blown up the bridge." 

By this time two Canadian constables had arrived, 
and then Mr. Tague informed them of the strange 
German and of his suspicious actions. It was de- 
cided that he should be placed under arrest. It was 
a curious procession that wound its way up the twist- 
ing stairways of the Vanceboro hotel. They were 
representatives of the railroad, the Canadian authori- 
ties, and of the United States Government. At least 
two of them were armed, for they expected to be con- 
fronted by a desperate character. They tapped on 
the door of the third-story room, and the sleepy voice 
of Werner Horn called out: 

" What you want there? " 

" We want to speak to you/' replied one of the con- 
stables. 

There was a shuffling noise inside the room, and then 
the door was thrown open. As the attacking party 
entered, the big, blue-eyed and fair-faced German 
looked at them in amazement. Slowly he reached for 
his coat which was on the side of the bed. But one 
of the constables was ahead of him, and secured the 
garment, which contained a revolver. For a moment 
it looked as if the child-like giant contemplated re- 



296 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

sistance. The sight of the uniformed Canadian offi- 
cers seemed to rouse him. At this point the Deputy 
Sheriff of Vanceboro said: 

" I am here as an American officer." 

" Oh," exclaimed Horn, " that is all right then. I 
thought you were all Canadians. I would not think of 
harming an American officer." 

Thereupon he consented to be handcuffed and led 
to the Immigration Station, where a sort of inquiry 
was held. He told a rather fantastic story. He ad- 
mitted at the outset that he was responsible for the 
explosion, but the details were highly romantic and 
sensational. He said that by arrangement he had 
come to Vanceboro with an empty suitcase, that he 
had proceeded to the bridge, and going to the Canadian 
side, had met another man who had given him the 
dynamite, and then quickly and mysteriously disap- 
peared. He said that he had been given a password, 
which was " Tommy," and that by uttering the name, 
he had secured the explosive. 

At once it was concluded that Horn was the mere 
tool of more experienced criminals, and that the 
solution of the mystery lay in securing the man who 
was called " Tommy." The officials of both the 
American and Canadian Governments at once started 
a search for this person. For days they scoured the 
shores of the river. But in spite of their best ef- 
forts they could not locate such a man. 

In the meanwhile public feeling had been wrought 
to such a pitch that it looked for a time as though 
Horn might be taken and lynched. To guard against 




Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 
WERNER HORN 



THE ARTLESS GERMAN 297 

this, he was conveyed to the county jail at Machias, and 
imprisoned on a technical charge. There, seated on 
the little iron bedstead, he repeated his queer story. 

" I met a white man on the Canadian side of the 
bridge," he said, " a man I had never seen before, but 
who was thirty-five or forty years of age, clean-shaven. 
* Tommy ' — I was told to say ' Tommy ' when I met 
him — I cannot say anything that would involve the 
consulate or the embassy — Germany is at war — I 
received, however, an order which was from one who 
had a right to give it, a verbal order only — received it 
two or three days before leaving New York for Vance- 
boro." 

He was pressed to give the name of the man who 
had authorized him to do the work, but would not do 
so. Some time afterward he added : 

'' I cannot speak of the rank of the man who gave 
the orders — I cannot even say that he was an officer. 
No one was present when the orders were given in 
New York City. I cannot tell more, for it was a 
matter for the Fatherland. I would rather go to 
Canada, where they have threatened to lynch me, 
than to tell more about my order — this would be 
impossible — at least until after the war is over." 

Thus the guileless one went on, little thinking that 
his child-like attempt to conceal the truth was in reality 
revealing it slowly but surely. He admitted that he 
had met Von Papen in the German Club in New York 
City, but he would not admit that he had received his 
orders from this man. 

By this time Mr. Bruce Bielaski, Chief of the Bureau 



298 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

of Investigation of the Department of Justice, had 
arrived in Vanceboro, and he took the prisoner in 
charge. He had several interviews with Horn, and 
at the end of five days had obtained the complete 
story — and the truthful story — of the attempt to 
blow up the bridge. More than that, by piecing the 
evidence that had been obtained elsewhere, he had the 
full story of the life of Werner Horn. It involved 
stolen passports. Count von Bernstorff and Von Papen, 
and the whole crew of German conspirators who were 
using the hospitality of the United States to carry 
on the schemes of the German propagandists. 

Horn had been in the German Army for ten years. 
In 1909 he was given permission to leave the service 
for two years in order to go to Central America. He 
was classed as a first lieutenant on " inactive service." 
He served as the manager of a coffee plantation in 
Guatemala. He was a capable man in his line and 
might have remained there for a long time, but the 
war broke out, and at once he prepared to return to 
Germany. He went to Galveston in the hope of ob- 
taining a passage to Germany. It was out of the 
question. Then he went to New York, thinking he 
might sail from that port. Again he met with fail- 
ure. In the meanwhile he had come in contact with 
Von Papen. Presumably he had hoped that this Ger- 
man agent might assist him in his desire to return 
to Germany. The records are incomplete at this point, 
but everything points to the fact that Von Papen had 
decided to make use of Horn in the United States. 
From this time on we find ourselves in the thick of 



THE ARTLESS GERMAN 299 

the scheme to blow up the Vanceboro bridge. It be- 
gins with the arrival of Horn in the little town. The 
details of the business came out in one of the inter- 
views which Horn had with the representative of the 
Department of Justice. 

From all the accounts of this weird adventure there 
is an agreement on two points which must be put 
down to the credit of Werner Horn. The first is that 
while he was willing to go almost any length to serve 
the Fatherland, he was resolved not to sacrifice any 
lives, and the second is that he would not swear to a 
lie. 

The scoundrels who were utilizing him as a tool 
for their criminal purposes had evidently given him 
a schedule of the trains that crossed the bridge every 
twenty-four hours. According to this schedule there 
were to be no trains after midnight until nearly morn- 
ing. Hence, he reasoned, he would not involve the 
lives of any of his fellow-beings as the result of his 
dynamiting the bridge. He felt assured that the ex- 
plosion would arouse the village, and thus prevent 
the next scheduled train from attempting to cross the 
bridge. The fifty-minute fuse which he carried in 
his brown suitcase with the dynamite would enable 
him to escape before the damage had been done. 

So he left the hotel rather blithely on that mo- 
mentous morning in December. He was smoking a 
big black cigar, smoking it with a purpose, because 
with it he intended to light the fuse that was to ignite 
the dynamite. He tugged the brown suitcase along, 
and was happy in the thought that he was about to 



300 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

serve his native land — and without causing the loss 
of a single life. Property would be destroyed, of 
course, but he reasoned that that would be justified 
because it would end the means employed by the 
enemy to send ammunitions which were being used 
against his countrymen. 

It was one of the coldest nights of the year, and his 
fingers tingled as he lugged the heavy load of dynamite 
toward the bridge. It was pitch dark also, and when 
he reached his destination he had to feel his way 
across the ties. Once he slipped and would have 
fallen into the frozen stream below if he had not 
caught the edge of a girder. For some moments he 
hung between heaven and earth, his heart palpitating 
with the fear that his end had come. But by a super- 
human effort he pulled himself up to the bridge again, 
and resumed his journey. Just before he reached the 
point where he was to plant the explosive he slipped 
for the second time. He actually went over the 
side, but he caught a piece of iron work, and once 
again dragged himself to a place of safety. 

All seemed to be well now, but at that critical mo- 
ment he was frightened by the tolling of a bell and 
the snorting of a locomotive. He glanced toward 
the American side and was confronted by the awful 
glare of a headlight. He had been deceived. The 
schedule with which he had been presented was wrong. 
There was another train, and it was speeding toward 
him at a frightful rate of speed. He had escaped 
death twice in the river only to have it pursuing him 
on that dangerous railroad bridge. For such a child- 



THE ARTLESS GERMAN 301 

like person he had a quick wit. Almost in the twink- 
ling of an eye he slipped down between the ties, and 
hung suspended in the air while the iron monster 
came rushing on and past him. He managed to pull 
himself up again, and in spite of the intense cold there 
were beads of sweat upon his brow. He had scarcely 
recovered his self-possession when another train came 
along — this time from the Canadian side, and he was 
compelled to repeat his performance. 

Once more he was alone, but as Werner Horn stood 
there under the cold and twinkling stars he felt a sense 
of moral responsibility. He was as keen as ever to 
serve the Fatherland, but he was more resolved than 
ever that there should be no loss of life as the result 
of his action. The two trains which had passed made 
it clear that the schedule which had been furnished him 
was unreliable. There might be another along in the 
course of the next hour. What should he do? The 
answer came to him even while he was thinking out 
the problem. He had a fifty-minute fuse. The thing 
to do was to reduce this fuse. He resolved to cut 
it so that it would only take three minutes to reach 
the dynamite. He did so. 

In doing this, Werner Horn not only gave a sop 
to his conscience, but he ran a serious personal risk. 
In the first place, it would require all of the three 
minutes for him to escape with his own life. He felt 
that he would succeed in this, but he ran a risk just 
the same. In the second place he involved his personal 
liberty. The chances were ninety-nine out of a hun- 
dred that he would be arrested. Arrest might mean 



302 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

his death, because in Germany any man doing what 
he proposed to do, if caught in the act, would be 
stood up against a wall and shot by a firing squad. 
Nevertheless, to his credit, Werner Horn took the 
chance. He was arrested, as we have seen, but a 
lenient Republic spared his life. 

The course of events now takes us back to the 
Machias jail where the patience and strategy of Mr. 
Bruce Bielaski had succeeded in drawing a pretty com- 
plete story from Horn. In order to put the matter 
in legal form, the facts which he had given to the 
authorities were embodied in a typewritten confession 
which he was asked to sign. A part of this confes- 
sion is appended herewith: 

" Machias, Maine, 
'* February 7, 191 5. 
" I, Werner Horn, after having been advised that 
my extradition to Canada has been asked by the Gov- 
ernment of Great Britain, and that anything I may 
say will or may be used against me in an extradition 
proceeding by the United States or in a prosecution 
by the United States if it shall be found that I have 
violated any of the laws of that country and that 
I may decline to talk at all or to answer any par- 
ticular questions, do voluntarily, willingly and with- 
out any promises other than that my case will be 
dealt with by the United States fairly, impartially 
and in accordance with the law, make this state- 
ment. 

'* I am thirty-seven years of age, a citizen of Ger- 
many and at the outbreak of the war was the man- 
ager of a coffee plantation in Guatemala, that I am 
an Over-lieutenant in the German army, in inactive 
service, having had ten years' active service in the 



THE ARTLESS GERMAN 303 

German army, that two hours after receiving the 
call to return for army service I was on my way. 
I went from Guatemala to Galveston, Texas, in 
August, 19 14, remained there fourteen days, pro- 
ceeded to New York City, waited there four weeks 
trying to get a steamer to return to Germany, found 
that this was impossible, started to Mexico, re- 
maining en route 15 days in San Antonio, Texas, 
that in Mexico City I received a card from the 
coffee plantation in Guatemala that another man 
had my position, that I secured a position on an 
American coffee plantation, that about four hours 
before going from Frontera to Salto de Aguas, in 
Chiapas, I received a card that all German officers 
should proceed to Germany, that I returned on the 
same launch on which I had intended to go from 
Frontera, sailed on a Norwegian steamer from Vera 
Cruz to New Orleans, was on the sea on Christmas 
day, arrived in New Orleans December 26, 19 14, 
proceeded at once to New York by train, reported to 
the German Consul there either Jan. i or 2, asked 
Captain von Papen if it was possible to go to Ger- 
many, he said that it was impossible, that I stayed 
at the Arietta Hotel on Arietta Street, Staten 
Island, three or four weeks and then went to Vance- 
boro, Maine. 

" I have had the flags I wore for about two years. 
I got them when in Guatemala. I got the suitcase in 
a store that sells men's clothes on the first floor. 
I bought the suit I am wearing for the trip on 
Staten Island across from the hotel and I bought the 
cap at the same place. I had the overcoat which I 
bought at Wanamaker's the day I got to New York 
from New Orleans. I paid about $12 for the 
suit. 



304 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

" I certify on my honor as a German officer that 
the foregoing statements are true except as to 
* Tommy ' ; that I did not buy the nitroglycerine, but 
received it in New York and took it with me in the 
suitcase. I cannot say from whom I received it. 

" Werner Horn." 

Now the curious nature of this German is ilhis- 
trated by this remarkable document, or rather by the 
manner in which he treated the document. He was 
told that he did not have to say anything, and that 
his statement must be voluntary. But he cheerfully 
expressed his willingness to sign it. Nevertheless, 
when the time came he showed a curious hesitancy. 
Mr. Bielaski was perfectly satisfied that the state- 
ment was correct except in one particular. Horn was 
asked if he hesitated because that part of it was not 
true. Smilingly he admitted the soft impeachment. 
The part of his story concerning the mysterious 
" Tommy " was a pure invention. The sentences 
bearing on the mythical one were stricken out of the 
paper, and then Werner Horn signed the confession 
testifying to its correctness on his honor " as a Ger- 
man officer.'* 

He was tried in due course and given a small sen- 
tence — something like eighteen months in a Fed- 
eral penitentiary. It is not stretching the probabilities 
to say that if he had been taken to Canada he would 
have been lynched. The people of the Dominion were 
in no mood to deal lightly with such a serious ofifense. 
The American courts evidently took all of the re- 
deeming facts of the case into consideration — his 



THE ARTLESS GERMAN 305 

evident desire to avoid the loss of life, and his will- 
ingness to sacrifice his liberty rather than commit de- 
liberate and cold-blooded murder. But wrhat must 
the public think of the arch-scoundrels who were be- 
hind this child-like German? What must be thought 
of the men, high in authority, who plotted to destroy 
life and property while enjoying the hospitality of 
the United States of America? 



XV 



THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF THE 
MASTER GERMAN SPY 



XV 

THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF THE 
MASTER GERMAN SPY 

WAS there a master German spy in the United 
States during and before the time of the 
great war? 

If so, was that spy a mysterious female, and did 
she have headquarters in one of the leading cities of 
the Pacific coast? 

Was this chief female spy in charge of those who 
were concerned in the plot to foment a revolt against 
British rule in India — a plot that brought more than 
threescore of suspects into the United States courts 
in San Francisco? 

These three questions have never been satisfactorily 
answered. It is not possible, even at this late day, 
to assemble evidence that can be accepted as conclusive. 
But from time to time there were arrests, and rumors 
of arrests, which it was felt might clear up the mys- 
tery. Men and women were taken into custody in 
various parts of the country. Some of them were in- 
terned for the period of the war, and others were re- 
leased for want of evidence. Incidentally, the in- 
vestigators of the Government never admitted the 
existence of the master spy, although some of them 
might have strongly suspected that such a person was 

309 



310 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

at work. They simply let each day's work take care 
of itself and did not concern themselves with the ro- 
mantic phases of the business. But it is permissible 
for a civilian to speculate upon the subject, and there 
were at least three important arrests which lend color 
to the belief in the existence of the directing head of 
the hundreds of German spies in America during the 
war. 

It may be conceded at the outset that the work of 
the German minions in the United States was not 
haphazard, and that there was an executive head in 
this country directing the movements of the Kaiser's 
secret agents, but in spite of the best efforts of the 
United States Secret Service, and of the Bureau of 
Investigation of the Department of Justice, it was 
impossible to name this formidable person, or to ob- 
tain evidence upon which conviction could be had in 
an American court of justice. 

It is good to know that even during the most critical 
hours of the war the disposition in this country was 
to proceed according to law and, so far as possible, not 
to act in an autocratic manner toward suspects. When 
it was found that there was not sufficient legislation 
to cover the cases of dangerous aliens. Congress was 
asked to vote more power to the authorities. This 
was nearly always done, although the delay in ob- 
taining this power embarrassed those who were en- 
gaged in running down spies, and in ridding the coun- 
try of undesirable men and women. The most an- 
noying phase of the early part of the war was the 
apparent ease with which German agents interfered 



THE MASTER GERMAN SPY 311 

with munition plants and factories engaged in making 
supplies for the Allies. There were many arrests 
and some convictions in this connection. The more 
important of these have been dealt with in the 
earlier parts of this book. 

Bernstorff, Boy-Ed and Von Papen were regarded 
as the fountain heads of the German propaganda in 
the United States, but it was not easy to connect them 
directly with the work of German spies. The line of 
demarcation between diplomatic rights and illegal acts 
was not as clear as many might imagine. Hence the 
ever-present desire of the Secret Service in this coun- 
try was to locate and arrest the master spy of the 
German service in this country. There were many 
false alarms, many arrests which were made upon in- 
sufficient evidence and many official mountains which 
afterward proved to be mole hills. 

It was toward the close of the third year of the 
war that certain government officials in the West con- 
ceived the idea that the master spy of the Germans 
was a woman, and that she was known only by the 
initial " H." About that time a man was arrested 
in San Francisco, charged with acting suspiciously in 
the neighborhood of United States arsenals in that 
part of the country. Papers found upon him indicated 
that he had been active in promoting plans to destroy 
bridges and public buildings in Canada, and shipping 
and warehouses in Pacific ports. It was quite evident 
that he was acting as the tool of some person higher 
up, and it was believed that the person was no less than 
" H," the mysterious female spy. The first clew to 



312 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the woman was obtained by a letter found in the 
possession of the man. It was postmarked Cleveland, 
and instructed him to meet her in Los Angeles. In- 
vestigation showed that " H " had been an agent of 
Wolf von Ingel, who was at one time secretary to 
Franz von Papen, military attache to the German 
Embassy at Washington, and the reputed head of the 
German espionage system in this country. 

By means of scraps of information picked up at 
various times and places, it was claimed that the offi- 
cials of the United States Government were able to 
patch together a pretty good description of this re- 
markable woman. She was a brunette, about thirty- 
five years old, and of striking carriage. She had 
bright black eyes, was quick in her movements, and had 
altogether an agreeable personality. She was well 
educated and spoke English, French and German with 
equal ease. In fact, it would be no misuse of the 
much-abused word to say that she was " beautiful." 
It must also be said, in behalf of the strange female, 
that she was as discreet as she was beautiful. Aside 
from the letter that was discovered in the effects of 
the prisoner, little was found that could convict her of 
being part and parcel of the scheme to abuse the hos- 
pitality of the United States, and of the many plots to 
blow up Government buildings. She was traced to a 
fashionable apartment in San Francisco, and, at what 
they considered a favorable moment, the secret service 
men prepared to take her into custody, but when they 
entered the bird had flown and never reappeared in 
that place. 




Copyright by the International Film Service, Inc. 
WOLF VON INGEL 



THE MASTER GERMAN SPY 313 

A further investigation ii;ito the antecedents of the 
man in the case indicated that he was a German who 
had been sent to this country for the purpose of assist- 
ing in the maintenance of contraband wireless sta- 
tions supported by the German Government for the 
purpose of obtaining miHtary information and of 
transmitting it to Berlin. After that industry had 
been pretty well destroyed, he was sent to the coast 
to employ his talents in activities that were certainly 
not in the interest of this Government. One of these 
seemed to connect him with the elaborate German- 
Hindu plot to foment a mutiny among the natives 
of India. 

It is claimed that in February, 191 5, he inserted an 
advertisement in Spokane newspapers looking to the 
purchase of a tract of land on which to colonize sev- 
eral hundred Spanish families. These families, Fed- 
eral officials said, were Hindus, and the purpose of 
their colonization was to permit them easy entrance 
into Canada, where they were to obtain military in- 
formation and facts concerning the movements of 
Canadian vessels, to assist in raider warfare conducted 
in the Pacific Ocean by the Germans. The coloniza- 
tion plan did not materialize. 

Some of his activities, according to the authorities, 
have been traced to Ram Chandra, the Hindu who 
was tried in San Francisco with -thirty other persons, 
charged with attempting to foment a revolt against 
British rule in India. Ram Chandra made several 
payments of money to the German, officials said. 

The man, according to Federal officials, was a de- 



314 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

serter from the German army and was actuated only 
by the hope of financial gain. 

The scene shifts from San Francisco to Hampton 
Roads Aviation grounds in Virginia. There a man, 
who was afterwards proven to be a lieutenant in the 
German Navy, was arrested on the technical charge of 
trespassing upon Government property. An Ameri- 
can secret service agent had been on his trail for weeks. 
It was believed that he had landed in this country 
from a German submarine which touched at Newport 
in the latter part of 19 17. At all events, he obtained 
employment with a Government contractor engaged 
in construction work at Newport News. He was as- 
signed to duty near the aviation field. He was closely 
watched and was claimed to have been one of the 
most dangerous German spies in America. It was 
felt that he was under the charge and direction of 
*' H," the unknown master spy, and it was hoped that, 
through him, it might be possible to ascertain the iden- 
tity of the famous female. 

He was arrested while he was at work one night in 
the early part of January, 19 18. He protested his 
innocence of any wrong-doing, and denied being con- 
nected with the German Government, or with any 
propaganda work in the United States. After he had 
been placed under lock and key, an attempt was made 
to obtain evidence to make out a case against the 
suspect. Disguised as an insurance agent, one of the 
investigators visited the apartment of the man, and 
found certain articles and papers which tended to con- 
firm the charge which had been made against him. 



THE MASTER GERMAN SPY 315 

But at the best it was circumstantial evidence, and, 
above all, there was nothing which could connect him 
with the mysterious female on the Pacific coast. 
The arrest caused great excitement at the time, and 
after some days' consideration it was decided that he 
should be interned at Fort Oglethorpe for the dura- 
tion of the war. 

The case was considered of such importance that 
the Attorney-General and the Secretary of the Navy 
issued a joint statement for the benefit of the public. 
This was given out after an examination of the evi- 
dence. It said : 

" He is a German reservist of the Twelfth Company, 
Seventy-fifth Bremen Regiment, who came to this 
country in 19 lo. He has been engaged in various 
occupations in and around Baltimore since he entered 
the United States. 

" In October, 19 17, he obtained a position with the 
contractor in charge of the construction of the avia- 
tion camp at Newport News, working there as a time- 
keeper. One night in October, he approached a dyna- 
mite magazine in the camp and was fired upon by the 
sentry, but escaped. His identity was not at that time 
known, and information as to identity was not obtained 
by the Navy Department until later. 

" So far no evidence has been obtained tending to 
show that he obtained or intended to transmit informa- 
tion, or that he was at the camp for that purpose, and 
he, therefore, cannot be placed on trial as a spy, but 
if sufficient further evidence is found on this subject 
he may be tried as a spy. A search of his effects 



316 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

disclosed his German military uniform, consisting of 
sword-bayonet, scabbard and sword-knot, army blouse, 
duck uniform, and belt. His name was stamped on 
the inside of his uniform. A number of postcards of 
German manufacture of a propaganda nature were 
also found. 

'' Last autumn he worked for a lumber contractor on 
the work of Camp Meade, under a permit from the 
United States Marshal. Apparently he worked un- 
der another contractor at Quantico. When arrested, 
he had been employed under his own name. It was 
also learned from his letters that he contemplated go- 
ing to Birmingham. 

" The press publications on this case have contained 
misstatements. It was printed, for example, that he 
was a former German officer of high rank; was a mas- 
ter spy known to have been in communication with one 
Bernstorff, Boy-Ed and other high German officers 
prior to our declaration of war ; that he arrived in this 
country on the submarine U-53; that after the com- 
mencement of the European war he went back to Ger- 
many, and later returned to the United States ; that at 
times he disguised himself in the uniform of an Amer- 
ican army officer; that he was arrested while in the 
act of lighting a fuse or match for an American army 
magazine; that money was advanced to him by the 
German spy system in this country. 

" Careful examination of all the evidence in the 
possession of the Department of Justice and the Navy 
Department failed to show any foundation for these 
statements." 



THE MASTER GERMAN SPY 317 

Nothing ever came of this case, and so, once again, 
the searchers after the master spy were compelled to 
acknowledge defeat. 

Soon after this, another promising clew presented 
itself in the arrest of a so-called baroness in Tennes- 
see. This woman had visited Fort Oglethorpe, and 
it was claimed that she had a secret underground means 
of communication with Berlin. She claimed to have 
been born in America, and said that her father was of 
German birth but had been naturalized. She married 
at an early age, and after the death of her husband 
went abroad and resided for short intervals in Paris, 
London, Naples, Rome, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Co- 
logne, Singapore, and Berlin. In 1906 she married 
a baron, who was a lieutenant in the German Army. 
The subsequent career of this astonishing woman, as 
it was outlined by the United States Attorney, in pre- 
senting the case of the Government, is quite as inter- 
esting as the pages from a romance. 

" Shortly after the marriage, her husband passed 
the examination for the German general staff, and the 
Baroness and he moved to Berlin, where they resided 
two years. The Baron attended to his official duties 
and he and the Baroness were presented to the Kaiser 
at a court ball. 

" On several occasions, the Baroness met the Em- 
press of Germany and most of the high court func- 
tionaries. She also admitted that on two occasions 
children of the Kaiser's sister had been her guests at 
birthday parties given for her children. 

'' About the time of Prince Henry's visit to the 



318 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

United States, when Germany was attempting to cre- 
ate a better feeling toward that country in the United 
States, the Baroness came to America, leaving her hus- 
band and children in Germany and London, respec- 
tively. She came to America on the ship with a count, 
who was adjutant of the German general staff, and 
who, with other high German -officials, was invited by 
Andrew Carnegie to attend the opening of the Car- 
negie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. She ad- 
mitted that she revised and edited the speeches the 
count was to make in America, telling him that they 
were too flowery for the American people. She also 
admitted that she rendered him like assistance after 
he arrived in America. After three months she re- 
turned to Germany. 

*' In 1909 she was divorced from the baron in the 
courts of Frankfort-on-the-Main. Shortly after her 
divorce she went from England to Naples. On this 
trip she met a Bavarian, with the rank of lieutenant 
in the German Army, who, she claimed, had a leave 
of absence because of a slight heart disorder. She 
said that he was on his way to Ceylon to hunt tigers. 
She claimed that he proposed marriage to her while on 
the ship, but that she had asked him to defer the mat- 
ter to a later date. 

" She returned to Rome, where she accepted his pro- 
posal. He returned to Germany to get permission 
from his regiment to be married. This was given, 
and they came to America and were married in New 
York. They then toured the world, sailing from San 
Francisco in 191 1. They went to Honolulu, and from 



THE MASTER GERMAN SPY 319 

there to Japan, then on to Singapore, where he pur- 
chased from the Sultan of Johre concessions for a rub- 
ber plantation about twenty miles from Singapore, the 
naval base of the British Government in the East 
Indies. 

" During the next three or four years the Baroness, 
as she still called herself, divided her time between 
London and Singapore. Her husband stayed in 
Singapore, returning to Germany only once a year to 
report to his regiment, and to have his leave of ab- 
sence extended. 

" When the war was declared between France and 
Germany, her husband was en route to London. 
While in the middle of the Mediterranean, between 
Suez and Marseilles, he made arrangements to land at 
Marseilles and go from there to London instead of 
continuing his voyage by way of Gibraltar. How- 
ever, the Baroness sent him a wireless just before he 
reached Marseilles, advising him not to disembark 
there, as war was about to be declared. When the 
ship touched Marseilles, the Captain offered $1000 
for an automobile to take him to the Italian frontier, 
but was unable to procure one to make the trip. He 
continued his voyage and landed at Southampton just 
one day after England had declared war on Germany. 
He was interned immediately at the Dorchester intern- 
ment camp, where he remained three weeks. In the 
meantime the Baroness intervened with high English 
officers of her acquaintance, and obtained her hus- 
band's release upon his giving his word of honor as an 
officer and a gentleman not to take up arms against 



320 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

England during the war. The Baroness also joined 
him in the pledge. 

'' Shortly after his release from the internment 
camp, he and his wife sailed for New York as steerage 
passengers. 

" The Baroness admitted that on probably fifteen 
occasions she had communicated with her husband by 
letter through another woman of Arnheim, Holland. 
This woman understood for whom the letters were in- 
tended, and would open them and mail them to the 
man. He would reply through the same intermediary. 
Cablegrams also were transmitted in this manner." 

All of this sounded promising enough, but it never 
led to any practical results. Much of it seems like a 
fairy tale, but, even admitting the accuracy of the facts 
as given, there still remained little or nothing upon 
which the United States could proceed, and there was 
no real evidence to connect the so-called Baroness with 
the unknown master spy who was known only by the 
cryptic initial of " H." Each of the three cases cited, 
the German suspect who was taken into custody in 
San Francisco, the lieutenant of the German Navy who 
was arrested at Newport News, and the Baroness who 
was held to answer for her visits to Fort Oglethorpe, 
were filled with possibilities, but no one of them, or all 
of them combined, sufficed to clear up the mystery. 

Thus the tale must be presented to the reader in the 
form of an unfinished story, and it is no exaggeration 
to say that there were hundreds of such uncompleted 
stories during the war. One of the most interesting 
phases in connection with the work of arresting sus- 



THE MASTER GERMAN SPY 321 

pects was the stubbornness and the persistence with 
which the prisoners shielded those " higher up." 
Many of them willingly accepted prison sentences 
rather than reveal to the authorities the names of those 
who had directed their work. They were fanatically 
devoted to the interests of the *' Fatherland," and 
most of them were obsessed with the notion that Ger- 
many was sure to win the war. 

If they had suspected that the " All Highest " in the 
person of the Kaiser would eventually flee for his life, 
and that Germany was to be decisively beaten by the 
Allies, they might have adopted a different attitude. 
But this, of course, is mere conjecture. The fact re- 
mains that they placed the interests of Germany above 
those of the United States, and shamefully abused the 
hospitality of the country which gave them shelter and 
the opportunity of a livelihood. 

In this connection it is but right to pay a tribute to 
the voluntary work of the American Protective League 
during the war. This was an organization of patriotic 
citizens which had the approval of Attorney-General 
Gregory, and which was formed for the purpose of 
assisting the authorities in the work of detecting spies 
and those who sympathized with Germany. It pene- 
trated into every nook and corner of the United States, 
and at one time was said to have a membership of 
two hundred and fifty thousand persons. 

It is an interesting fact that no one connected with 
the organization received any pay, and that the mem- 
bers were not even allowed their expenses. Each city 
in the United States was divided into divisions and 



322 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

placed in charge of an inspector. The divisions, in 
turn, were divided into districts and each district was 
in command of a captain who organized squads and 
placed them under the direction of lieutenants. These 
men were to make " prompt and reliable reports of all 
disloyal or enemy activities," and of all infractions or 
evasions of the war code of the United States, and 
to make " prompt and thorough investigations of all 
matters of a similar nature referred to it by the De- 
partment of Justice." 

It will be seen that the members of the American 
Protective League had a pretty big contract on their 
hands. They delved into spy activities, sedition, lying 
reports concerning the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A. 
and the Knights of Columbus, and any reports or ru- 
mors likely to interfere with the successful prosecu- 
tion of the war. They paid special attention to indi- 
vidual and organized attempts to evade the draft, and 
there is no doubt but that they were instrumental in 
discovering hundreds of draft dodgers who were com- 
pelled to do their duty along with all willing sons of 
the Republic. 

Perhaps the most curious feature of this strange 
association was the fact that many of the members 
did not know each other. As a consequence of this, 
they were able to halt a great deal of German propa- 
ganda in the United States. In the beginning of the 
war, it may be recalled, there was more or less out- 
spoken friendship for Germany. Those who indulged 
in this sort of thing did not seem to realize that they 
were giving " aid and sympathy " to the enemy. But 



THE MASTER GERMAN SPY 323 

when they received a notice to call upon the United 
States District Attorney and explain their talk, their 
eyes were opened. They wondered how in the world 
the Government could have found out about their 
casual conversations with their neighbors, little think- 
ing that these neighbors were sworn agents of the 
Government for the period of the war. In some cases, 
members of the organization were known to have been 
watching one another in the belief that they were on 
the track of enemy sympathizers. So easy it is to 
misjudge and mistake the motives of our neighbor. 

But in the very beginning, the treason hunters were 
warned to be careful not to do injustice to any indi- 
viduals or to any class of men. The membership of 
the League was composed of all classes and conditions 
of men. Bankers, lawyers, carpenters, dentists, brick- 
layers, clerks, engineers and anybody with average in- 
telligence was eligible so long as they were known to 
be loyal and patriotic Americans. At the outset there 
was a careful effort made to impress the members with 
the importance of avoiding the giving of unnecessary 
annoyance to aliens in the United States. One of the 
first announcements to the members said : 

** Many alien residents in this country are absolutely 
loyal to its institutions and laws, and many individuals 
having the status of alien enemies are not only con- 
ducting themselves with due respect to law, but are 
of great value in industry and business. Great care 
must be exercised by members to avoid unnecessary 
alarm to aliens and to avoid causing apprehension upon 
.their part as to the fairness and justice of the attitude 



324 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

of the Government toward them. In this regard mem- 
bers will be called upon for the exercise of judgment 
and discretion of a high order. They should protect 
aliens and citizens from unjust suspicion, but must 
fearlessly ascertain and report treason wherever 
found." 

It would be too much to claim that the members of 
the American Protective League did not make mis- 
takes. There were instances where perfectly loyal 
citizens were placed under suspicion, and there were 
a few cases where arrests were made without sufficient 
evidence. But, in the main, the organization did a real 
and important work for the Government. Their la- 
bors related to enemy aliens, unfriendly neutrals, first- 
paper citizens, disloyal citizens, pro-German radicals, 
disloyal Government employees, I. W. W. agitators, 
those guilty of seditious utterances, anti-militarists, 
army deserters, food hoarders, and others too numer- 
ous to mention. Men high in the counsels of the 
Government willingly bore witness to the efficiency 
of the work done by these volunteer treason hunters. 

But soon after the signing of the armistice, steps 
were taken to dissolve the organization. It was said, 
with justice, that we could not afford to have an or- 
ganization of this kind in the United States in times of 
peace. There has always been a strong sentiment in 
this country against a secret police, and the notion of 
having one class of citizens spying upon another class, 
and upon one another, was repugnant to the American 
idea of freedom. It savored too much of the secret 
police system of Europe. The Attorney-General 



THE MASTER GERMAN SPY 325 

thanked the members for the valuable aid they had 
given the Government during a crisis in the history of 
the Republic, and directed that the organization be 
disbanded. So, without any ceremony, the American 
Protective League went out of existence almost as 
quickly and quietly as it had come into being, and the 
members took their places again as citizens of a free 
country. 

It is hardly necessary to say that the organization 
was no more successful in locating the master spy of 
the German secret service in America than were the 
professional detectives of the Government. Their ac- 
tivities dealt rather with the minor and irritating ene- 
mies of the United States. Their net was widespread 
and the mesh was very close, but they did not succeed 
in catching the big fish which would have been the 
great prize of the war. 

Thus it came about when the peace treaty was signed, 
the identity of " H," the master German spy, was as 
much a mystery as it was in the beginning of the war 
in this country. 



XVI 



THE DARK MYSTERY SURROUNDING THE 

MURDER OF THE ARCHDUKE 

FERDINAND 



XVI 

THE DARK MYSTERY SURROUNDING THE 

MURDER OF THE ARCHDUKE 

FERDINAND 

THE real history of the world's greatest war 
will never be written until the student of his- 
tory ascertains all of the hidden facts which 
lay concealed behind the cruel murder of the Archduke 
Ferdinand and his Consort, the Duchess of Hohen- 
berg. To the casual observer that ghastly double- 
tragedy in the streets of Sarajevo, on June 28, I9i4> 
just '* happened," but to those who look beneath the 
surface, to those who study causes and effects, there 
are phases of the business that are both puzzling and 
understandable. 

There have been many mysterious tragedies con- 
nected with the war, such as the strange disappearance 
of Lord Kitchener and the last end of the Emperor 
Nicholas, but none of them have been shrouded with 
as impenetrable a veil as the details leading to the as- 
sassination of the man who had been selected to suc- 
ceed Francis Joseph as the ruler of Austria-Hungary. 
Before the war, no monarch seemed to be so sure of 
his throne as the aged man who had presided for so 
many years over the destinies of the dual monarchy. 
Yet he seemed to have a premonition of impending dis- 

329 



330 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

aster, and in the last years of his life devoted most 
of his time and attention toward insuring the succes- 
sion to the throne. The House of Hapsburg had been 
subject to a succession of strange fatalities. Early in 
his reign an attempt had been made upon the life of 
Francis Joseph by a fanatical Hungarian; later, his 
wife was assassinated by an Italian anarchist in Ge- 
neva, and, still later, his only son died a violent and 
unexplained death. Hence, when he finally selected 
Franz Ferdinand to be the heir to the throne, all of 
his hopes centered about that young man. 

In the closing years of his life, when he was within 
the shadow of the grave, he was fated to receive a 
telegram informing him that the Archduke upon whom 
he had pinned his hopes had also fallen by the hands 
of an assassin. Destiny had decreed that he should 
die disappointed and broken-hearted. In his closing 
hours he must have felt that he was surrounded by 
treachery and false friends. The question that was 
asked even while he was breathing his last was whether 
the bullet which ended the life of Ferdinand was fash- 
ioned in Vienna. He died before it could be answered. 
Will the mystery ever be solved? Who can answer 
that question? 

The Hfe of the murdered Archduke was filled with 
romance. For years he was regarded as one of the 
most mysterious characters in Austria. But it is more 
likely that much of this mystery was thrown about him 
by those who did not understand his shy character, 
and, most of all, his persistence in marrying for love 
instead of for reasons of State. From the moment, 



MURDER OF FERDINAND 331 

however, when he was selected by the aged Francis 
Joseph to be his successor to the throne of Austria he 
became a world figure. 

He was born at Gratz, in Styria province, while his 
father was Governor, on December i8, 1863. He was 
the eldest son of the Archduke Charles Louis, eldest 
of the three brothers of Francis Joseph. Under the 
laws of the Hapsburgs the eldest son of the reigning 
monarch was heir to the throne, and in pursuance of 
this rule the Archduke Rudolph was educated to be an 
Emperor. But man proposes and God disposes. 
Archduke Rudolph met with a tragic death in the hunt- 
ing lodge near Vienna on January 30, 1889. There 
was something mysterious about his end — and it never 
has been satisfactorily explained — but as a result of it 
Ferdinand came into line as the successor to the throne. 
He had been trained along military and engineering 
lines, and now he was called upon to study methods of 
government. The aged Emperor took a personal in- 
terest in this, and made it his business to instruct him 
in the intricate duties he would finally be called upon 
to assume. Indeed, he permitted him to exercise many 
of the functions of the ruler of Austria, and was de- 
lighted to find that in Franz Ferdinand he had an apt 
and willing pupil. 

Then, one day, an incident occurred which threat- 
ened to upset all of his plans for the succession to the 
throne of Austria. 

It was known, of course, that the time would come 
when he would be called upon to choose a wife who 
would be the Empress of Austria. In Europe, as 



332 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

everybody knows, they have a way of arranging these 
things for the heir to the throne. In the case of 
Ferdinand this began very early. When he was only 
twenty-two years old the Austrian Cabinet planned 
that he should marry a Princess of Saxony. It ap- 
peared to be a very desirable match from every point 
of view. It pleased everybody — that is, everybody 
except Ferdinand. He flatly refused to consider it, 
much to the consternation of the rulers of Austria. 
He said that if the crown depended upon such a mar- 
riage he would forfeit his rights. To the surprise of 
all, Emperor Francis Joseph upheld the young man in 
this refusal. In a word, he upheld the young man's 
natural right to choose his own wife. 

Time went on, and it was generally felt that at the 
right moment he could be depended upon to select the 
right sort of a wife — that is to say, a wife who would 
satisfy the Emperor and the Cabinet. He was an at- 
tractive young man, tall, good-looking, highly accom- 
plished, and, best of all, free from scandal. But he 
was one of those men who do not make friends easily. 
This was not from any want of desire on his part, 
but rather because he had a retiring disposition. He 
had both a practical and a poetic side to his nature. 
He not only studied engineering, but he secured a de- 
gree which entitled him to practice that profession. It 
is not surprising to learn that he was also of an 
inventive turn of mind. It has been said that if 
he had the desire he could have patented many 
devices, and that if thrown upon his natural re- 
sources he could easily have been one of the wealthiest 



MURDER OF FERDINAND 333 

princes in Europe — and that by his own unaided 
efforts. 

On the other hand, he was a writer and a poet of no 
mean order. He loved music, and was the author of 
several compositions — old Styrian melodies which, 
until that time, had never been placed upon paper. 
He published two volumes of quaint Alpine poetry, 
and he was also the author of some biographical 
sketches which attracted attention outside his own 
country. Add to this the fact that he was a sportsman 
and a good shot, and we have an all-around man that 
might well attract the attention of the young women 
of the old world. Long ago it was said that jour- 
neys end in lovers meeting. The girl and the place 
were waiting for Ferdinand. 

He went on a visit to Abbazia, the country place of 
the widowed Princess Stephanie. It is a charming 
spot and the vacation was all that could be desired. 
Ferdinand had intended to stay but a few days, but 
his visit was prolonged to weeks. Then those who 
were at the court in Vienna began to gossip, just as 
folks will gossip about impending matrimony, whether 
it be in a cottage or a palace. It was hinted that 
Ferdinand had fallen in love with his hostess, and a 
charming hostess she was. The Emperor Francis 
Joseph was delighted. It was precisely the sort of a 
match that he would have planned for the heir to the 
throne. When he returned to Vienna he was met with 
playful references to his supposed love affair, but he 
remained silent. If he had any matrimonial inten- 
tions he was not making them public at that time. So 



334 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the Emperor and his Cabinet waited, ascribing his 
silence to the natural shyness of a love-smitten young 
man. That he was in love no one doubted, because he 
had all of the symptoms of the ancient disease. 

The truth came out in an unexpected manner. He 
paid a second visit to Abbazia. The plot thickened, 
so to speak. •Could it be possible that the Archduke 
was in love with one of the sisters of Princess 
Stephanie? No, he was not, because after his de- 
parture one of the servants found in his room a gold- 
framed miniature of the Countess Sophie. This 
young woman, who was exceedingly beautiful, was a 
lady-in-waiting to the Princess, and had been acting as 
a sort of duenna to the daughters of the hostess. 
Without the poverty which is supposed to be part of 
the role, she was a modern Cinderella, and Ferdinand 
was the young Prince who had found her slipper and 
came to claim her as his bride. 

There was an emotional explosion. Hell, we are 
told, hath no fury like a woman scorned, and, if we 
are to believe contemporaneous reports, the Princess 
Stephanie raged just like an ordinary woman who has 
been jilted. As a matter of fact, the loving Ferdi- 
nand had been guilty of no impropriety. He did not 
make love to either the Princess or her sisters, but he 
had been guilty of the bad judgment of preferring the 
lady-in-waiting to the lady. He preferred the maid 
to the mistress. Worst of all, rumors had gone forth 
of his supposed attachment to the Princess. We have 
no record of what actually took place between the 
two women, but it is enough to say that within half 



MURDER OF FERDINAND 335 

an hour after the discovery of the miniature the Count- 
ess Sophie was banished from the house. 

In the meanwhile the news traveled to Vienna. The 
Emperor Francis Joseph was amazed. He sent for 
the young man and wanted to know if the stories that 
had reached him were true. The young Archduke 
bowed his head: 

** It is true that I love the Countess." 

The Emperor conceded his right to that feeling, but 
insisted that it was his duty to marry some one of his 
own rank, to make an alliance with one of the royal 
houses. 

" That is impossible," retorted this astonishing 
Archduke. " I shall marry the woman I love." 

" But," cried the angry Emperor, " can it be pos- 
sible that you intend to renounce your claim to the 
throne?" 

" Not at all," was the calm response. " I am sim- 
ply taking your advice. I heard you say once that in 
taking a wife an Emperor should pay no attention to 
politics and should follow only the impulse of his own 
heart." 

The aged ruler had to turn his head aside to conceal 
the smile that was provoked by this apt retort. He 
knew very well that he had uttered these words, but he 
pretended to be very angry, and dismissed his dis- 
obedient nephew. From that day onward every pos- 
sible effort was made to break off the attachment be- 
tween the two young people. The Archduke was sent 
into a sort of exile at Budweis. By a curious set of 
circumstances the young Countess happened to be in 



336 THE WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the same neighborhood at the same time. So, what 
was intended as a punishment, proved to be a delight- 
ful occasion. But the royal diplomats were at work 
again, and it was not long before the two were sepa- 
rated. Later, the information was brought to the 
Countess Sophie that Ferdinand was actually engaged 
to the Princess Stephanie, and that the date of their 
marriage would soon be fixed. The purpose was to 
provoke her jealousy and to bring about an estrange- 
ment. But it failed utterly of its effect. She smiled 
radiantly : 

" The story is interesting,'' she said, " but I do not 
believe it.'' 

" It comes from good authority," she was told ; 
" it comes direct from Vienna." 

" Then it is very doubtful," was the quick retort, 
" and the only person in the world who can make me 
believe it is Ferdinand himself." 

A tour of the world and a separation of many 
months failed to wean Ferdinand from the woman he 
loved. Finally the Emperor, who was a fairly good 
judge of human nature, realized that further oppo- 
sition would be useless. The courtship had continued 
for nine years, and at the end of that time Francis 
Joseph consented to the betrothal. So it came about 
that the Archduke Ferdinand, on June 28, 1900, in the 
presence of the Emperor, church dignitaries and min- 
isters of State took an oath in the Ho f burg at Vienna, 
that he and the Countess would consider their mar- 
riage a morganatic one, renounced for her all future 
claims as Empress, and for their unborn children all 



MURDER OF FERDINAND 337 

claims to the throne. Three days later the Archduke 
and the Countess were married at her native home in 
Bohemia. The Emperor, who really admired the 
Countess, made her Duchess of Hohenberg. 

The course of true love had not run smoothly, but 
after their marriage the much-opposed young couple 
were exceedingly happy. The truth of the matter is 
that both of them were so decent, generous and good- 
intentioned that they deserved their happiness. But 
while their love affairs had been happily adjusted their 
political difficulties were only beginning. There were 
men in Austria who were not reconciled to the idea of 
Ferdinand as the heir-apparent. They were deeply 
disappointed when the aged Emperor had finally for- 
given the young man and taken him to his bosom again. 
They were more incensed when they found that Ferdi- 
nand was actually ruling Austria. He was earnest, he 
was patient and he was industrious. Best of all, he 
was content to remain in the background, and permit 
his uncle to have all of the honor and the glory of 
governing. Indeed, the complaint was made that an 
*' impenetrable veil had been drawn over his private 
life." But behind this veil Ferdinand was working 
like a Trojan. It was the Archduke Ferdinand who 
was the moving spirit in the annexation of Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, and it seemed to be fate that he should 
meet with his tragic end in the capital of Bosnia. 

It was quite common to hear that Ferdinand avoided 
the fierce light that shines on a crown. This did not 
mean that he was inactive, but rather that he had a 
dislike for publicity. He was not photographed in 



338 THE .WOELD'S GREATEST SPIES 

every conceivable position; his daily movements were 
not faithfully chronicled and his likes and dislikes were 
not a matter of common knowledge. Those about 
him, however, soon found that he was a man of char- 
acter. They found that he had the ability to govern, 
and that he did not hesitate to disagree with the Em- 
peror when he thought the Emperor was wrong. It 
was freely predicted that when he became the actual 
head of the State — a time that was never to come — 
that the good old Austrian carelessness would be a 
thing of the past. It is perhaps natural that such a 
man should be unpopular. In this respect it is inter- 
esting to reproduce an estimate that was made of him 
some years before his death. An American corre- 
spondent writing at that time said: 

" The Archduke is thoroughly constitutional. No 
attempt will be made by him to make a breach in the 
Empire or among its varied populations. And this is 
why he is unpopular with certain militant sections of 
his future subjects in Hungary. He fiercely hates 
those who would sap the foundations on which the 
dual monarchy is built. But to Hungarians as Hun- 
garians he is as friendly as to Germans or Poles or 
Czechs. He loves none of them, but hates none as 
long as they do his will. 

" Not long ago he was disliked in the army. His 
coldness, his want of the spirit of camaraderie, his in- 
difference to buttons, facings and gold braid worn by 
officers, his dislike of parades and military show which 
pleases both his uncle and his neighbor, the German 
Emperor, have raised a barrier between him and the 



MURDER OF FERDINAND 339 

flashy sections of the army. But there is not an officer 
of worth in the Austrian Army who does not know that 
Franz Ferdinand is a great soldier of the working, 
plodding, diligent, watchful sort, that nothing escapes 
him, and that his supreme qualities of generalship will 
be of enormous advantage to the Empire when the day 
of trial comes. If Austria fights she will fight with 
Franz Ferdinand at the head of her forces. 

" Franz Ferdinand makes no claim to be a genius 
and is not one, but his head is clear and he has a habit 
of thinking for himself. He has also a remarkable 
knowledge of men. Immediately after he took the 
reins of power under his uncle the old easy Austrian 
methods of appointing unfit men to high positions were 
abandoned, and only those men were chosen for office 
who were suitable by gifts and experience — men like 
Von Beck, Conrad von Stotzendorf and Baron von 
Aehrenthal. Not one of the men named belongs- to 
what is known as the ' high aristocracy,' and the fa- 
mous foreign minister is even of Jewish extraction, 
belonging to a banking family of ordinary reputation. 
Prince Ferdinand has no prejudices. Like all the 
Hapsburgs, he is a religious man, but it is not accurate 
to say that he is a clerically minded man. He sees in 
the Christian Socialist or Clerical party the best or- 
ganized, most patriotic party in the Empire, and that 
is why he maintains a sort of connection with them. 
Were the other parties in the State to show the same 
devotion to the Crown, the same eagerness to advance 
the glory and power of Austria, he would join forces 
with them also. 



340 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

" But the fact remains that Franz Ferdinand is not 
a lovable character. He is not what the Austrians 
call a ' guter mensch.' He lacks the amiability which 
distinguishes the German and Austrian Emperors and 
the sovereigns of England and Italy. His smile is 
seldom seen, and when seen is usually sardonic." 

In view of what has happened since this estimate 
was made it assumes unusual interest and importance. 
It sounds like irony to read that if Austria fights " she 
will fight with Franz Ferdinand at the head of her 
forces." Fate had decreed that Ferdinand himself 
was to be the cause of the war. His assassination in 
the town of Sarajevo was to be the match that was to 
kindle the world-wide conflagration. Had it been 
otherwise, had the war been from other causes, and 
had Ferdinand headed the troops of Austria would 
the result have been different ? Hardly, although it is 
reasonable to believe that the dual monarchy would not 
have made such a miserable showing in the war. 

But, from the foregoing, it is evident that there were 
many men in Austria who did not look with much joy 
upon the prospect of having Ferdinand ascend the 
throne. We are told that when he arranged to make 
his visit of State to Bosnia one of his friends in Vienna 
urged him to postpone the trip. This man was filled 
with forebodings. He could give no reason for his 
warning beyond the prevailing political unrest, but he 
simply had a premonition that there was danger in the 
air. The Archduke was not greatly impressed. He 
was a man of great personal courage. He was also 
highly practical and he was not to be deterred by 



MURDER OF FERDINAND 341 

" voices in the air." So the visit of ceremony was 
carried out as planned. 

The Archduke and his Consort arrived at Sarajevo 
on June 28, 1914. There was a great outpouring of 
the people, and while he was not greeted with cheers 
he was received with respectful interest. It was a 
curious assemblage. The streets through which the 
royal automobile passed were lined with Turkish ba- 
zaars, mosques, churches and synagogues. In the 
crowd were the Serbs, Croatians and Jews who make 
up the population of the picturesque and cosmopolitan 
city. Howling Moslem dervishes went through their 
contortions. Ali of this was interesting, but Ferdi- 
nand and his well-beloved wife must have had some 
misgivings as they gazed upon the sea of half -sullen 
faces. 

He realized, for one thing, that the local Governor 
and the Army Commandant had not provided an ade- 
quate police and military escort for himself and his 
Consort. There were some cheers, but they were not 
hearty. Nevertheless, the Archduke, making the best 
of a bad situation, bowed to the right and to the left 
as his conveyance made its way from the railroad sta- 
tion to the Town Hall. Just before the visitors 
reached their destination some one — he was after- 
wards proven to be the son of an Austrian official — 
threw a bomb at the automobile. The crowd shrieked 
in horror, but when the wall of smoke was wafted 
aside it was found that the Archduke and his Consort 
were sitting upright and unharmed. 

" Now," the Archduke is reported to have said to 



342 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

his Consort, " I know why Count Tisza advised me to 
postpone my journey." 

Some of the members of his party were wounded 
by the explosion, and the Archduke would not continue 
his journey until they had been cared for, and taken 
to a local hospital. He was pale, but presented an 
undisturbed demeanor. Yet even after that startling 
incident he was without proper police protection. The 
procession proceeded to the Town Hall, where the 
Burgomaster, in the robes of his office, was waiting 
to deliver the formal address of welcome. But be- 
fore he began the Archduke raised his hand : 

" Herr Burgomaster, we have come here to pay you 
a visit and bombs have been thrown at us. This is al- 
together an amazing indignity. You may now pro- 
ceed with your address." 

The formalities went on to their end, but there was 
a tenseness about the situation by no means agreeable. 
After that the Archduke and his Consort returned to 
their automobile and the line of march was resumed. 
Half way to the station he directed the driver to pro- 
ceed to the hospital in order that he might call upon 
the injured members of his party. It was an a^^ of 
mercy. They had not gone three blocks, however, be- 
fore a youth on the sidewalk produced a pistol, and 
fired three shots at the royal couple. The first shot 
struck the Archduke. He stood up in the automobile, 
rigid and drawn, and then fell in a heap in the bottom 
of the machine. In the meanwhile another shot fa- 
tally wounded his Consort, and thus these two, who 
had been inseparable in life, were united in death. Be- 




Photograph from Underwood & Ujiderwood, N. Y. 

ARCHDUKE FERDINAND AND HIS CONSORT 



MURDER OP FERDINAND 343 

fore Ferdinand expired, and while he was being as- 
sisted from the automobile, he said, with a groan: 

" That fellow will get the Golden Cross of Merit 
for this day's work ! " 

The crowd made a rush for the assassin, and but 
for the intervention of the police he would have been 
torn to pieces. It was quite evident that no matter 
what their political grievances they had no sympathy 
with murder. After he was taken to the police sta- 
tion he gave his name as Gavrio Prinzip. He was a 
Serbian student, residing in Sarajevo, and he had been 
nursing his hatred until the time came to fire the fatal 
shot. He had a confederate, a printer, and the evi- 
dence showed that they had been waiting for hours for 
this opportunity for a double assassination that was to 
involve the world in war. 

In due course of time the culprits were tried and 
punished. But in the meanwhile events were follow- 
ing one another with lightning-like rapidity. Those 
three cowardly shots were heard around the world. 
The people of all the civilized countries were shocked 
by the crime. The British Government was the first 
to formally express its detestation of the horrible hap- 
pening. One after another followed with notes of 
sympathy and indignation. But, outside of Austria 
and Germany, none appeared to suspect the tragic con- 
sequences that were to turn the world topsy-turvy. A 
few — a very few — were asking the question : 

Was Archduke Ferdinand purposely placed in peril ? 

This question has never been satisfactorily answered. 
More than one student of history has speculated upon 



344 THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPIES 

the sinister meaning of the tragedy. It has become 
one of the great mysteries of history. Had destiny 
decreed that Ferdinand was to be the instrument to end 
the great Austrian Empire? Trifles have changed the 
history of the world, but surely this double-tragedy 
was no trifle. Could the politicians at Vienna tell the 
inside story of that black crime ? One historian in dis- 
cussing this phase of the case says: 

" There is some reason for feeling that certain in- 
fluential personages in Austria realized that the Arch- 
duke's visit to Sarajevo was likely to be perilous and 
that they did not, nevertheless, order any very efficient 
police measures to protect him. The dark skeins in 
Balkan history are innumerable, and to-day it is im- 
possible to untangle this one. One fact, however, is 
certain. The news of the death of Franz Ferdinand 
did not leave certain influential politicians in Vienna 
and Buda-Pesth bowed with anguish." 

All newspaper readers are familiar with the events 
which now followed one another in quick succession. 
Austria-Hungary made demands upon the Serbian 
Government for immediate satisfaction. Steps were 
taken to comply with this demand. Full punishment 
was promised against the assassins, but that was not 
enough for Vienna. Further demands were made, de- 
mands with which the Serbian Government felt that 
it could not comply without yielding up its national 
existence. Then followed the declaration of war 
against Serbia, the intervention of Russia, and finally 
Germany's announcement that the mobilization of the 
Russian Army would be taken as an act of hostility 



MURDER OF FERDINAND 345 

to the Fatherland. And, before any one reaHzed it, 
the world was on fire. 

Most of the momentous facts are familiar to even 
the most casual reader. To attempt to recite them all 
would be to undertake to tell the history of the World 
War. But it must be apparent that the moment in 
which the Archduke and his Consort were killed was 
one of the most dramatic moments in the history of 
the world. 

There are many mysteries connected with this ap- 
palling war, but none of them are veiled in greater 
secrecy than this one in which the Archduke Ferdi- 
nand was the principal, and it is fitting that this series 
should conclude with this episode, which was the first 
event in the greatest war the world has ever known. 



THE END 





SMILES. A ROSE OF THE 
CUMBERLANDS 

^y Eliot Harlow Robinson 

Author of "Man Proposes" 
Cloth decorative, i2mo, illustrated, $1.50 



Smiles is a girl that is sure to make friends. Her 
real name is Rose, but the rough folk of the Cumber- 
lands preferred their own way of addressing her, for 
her smile was so bright and winning that no other name 
suited her so well. 

Smiles was not a native of the Cumberlands, and her 
parentage is one of the interesting mysteries of the 
story. Young Dr. MacDonald saw more in her than 
the mere untamed, untaught child of the mountains 
and when, due to the death of her foster parents a 
guardian became necessary, he was selected. Smiles 
developed into a charming, serious-minded young wo- 
man, and the doctor's warm friend. Dr. Bently, falls in 
love with her. 

We do not want to detract from the pleasure of 
reading this story by telling you how this situation was 
met, either by Smiles or Dr. MacDonald — but there 
is a surprise or two for the reader. 

Press opinions on "Man Proposes": 

"Readers will find not only an unusually interest- 
ing story, but one of the most complicated romances 
ever dreamed of. Among other things the story gives 
a splendid and realistic picture of high social life in 
Newport, where many of the incidents of the plot are 
staged in the major part of the book." — The Bookman. 

" It is well written ; the characters are real people and 
the whole book has * go.' " — Louisville Post. 8 



ROLLO'S JOURNEY TO 
WASHINGTON 

^y Richard D. Ware 



Illustrated with unique woodcuts by Robert Seaver. 
Price $1.00 



The boy of yesterday — the man of today — knows 
the Rollo books, and is familiar with the method by 
which the mind of young Master Mollycoddle was 
improved by the guidance and precepts of his father 
and Uncle George. Those who survived such a course 
of purification and still live will enjoy this story of 
Rollo's journey to our national capital. 

It is not written for the young in years, but for the 
young in heart — for the good citizen who can see the 
funny side of a situation that is serious, and can laugh 
at the mistakes and foibles of our great men of today 
without malice or viciousness. 

The book is about the Great War which has caused 
so many tears of sorrow, and the author's only desire 
IS to replace those bitter tears with tears of mirth. 



f>axsasaxisixas3X£0S3Xit 






TWEEDIE, THE STORY OF 
A TRUE HEART 

Sy Isla May Mullins § 

Author of " The Blossom Shop Stories," etc. 
Cloth decorative, i2mo, illustrated, $1.50 



In this story Mrs. Mullins has given us another de- g 

lightful story of the South. « 

The Carlton family — lovable old Professor Carl- 8 

ton, and his rather wilful daughter Ruth — twenty- g 

three years old and with decided ideas as to her future g 

— decide to move to the country in order to have more 8 

time to devote to writing. « 

Many changes come to them while in the country, D 

the greatest of which is Tweedie — a simple, unpreten- « 

tious Httle body who is an optimist through and § 

through — but does not know it. In a subtle, amus- g 

ing way Tweedie makes her influence felt. At first 8 

some people would consider her a pest, but would § 

finally agree with the Carlton family that she was g 

" Unselfishness Incarnate." It is the type of story S 

that will entertain and amuse both old and young. jg 

The press has commented on Mrs. Mullins' previous % 

books as follows : 8 

"Frankly and wholly romance is this book, and O 

lovable — as is a fairy tale properly told. And the S 

book's author has a style that's all her own, that 8 

strikes one as praiseworthily original throughout." — « 

Chicago Inter-Ocean. « 

" A rare and gracious picture of the unfolding of life § 

for the young girl, told with a delicate sympathy and § 

understanding that must touch alike the hearts of g 

young and old." — Louisville (Ky.) Times. S 




Author of **The World's Greatest Military Spies and 

Secret Service Agents/* " The Mystery of the, 

Red Flame," " The Strange Adventures 

of Bromley Barnes" etc. 

Cloth decorative, I2m0j illustrated, ^r.5Q 



Bromley Barnes, retired chief of the Secret Service, 
an important State document, a green wallet, the 
Ambassador's trunk — these are the ingredients, which, 
properly mixed, and served in attractive format and 
binding, produce a draught that will keep you awake 
long past your regular bedtime. 

Mr. Barton is master of the mystery story, and in this 
absorbing narrative the author has surpassed his best 
previous successes. 

"It would be difficult to find a collection of more 
interesting tales of mystery so well told. The author 
is crisp, incisive and inspiring. The book is the best 
of its kind in recent years and adds to the author's 
already high reputation." — New York Tribune. 

"The story is full of life and movement, and pre- 
sents a variety of interesting characters. It is well pro- 
portioned and subtly strong in its literary aspects and 
quality. This volume adds great weight to the claim 
that Mr. Barton is among America's greatest novelists 
of the romantic school; and in many ways he is re- 
garded as one of the most versatile and interesting 
writers." — Boston Post. 



iicxsxc^yx:^^:^^ 




ONLY HENRIETTA 



!By Lela Horn Richards 

Author of "Blue Bonnet — Debutante" etc. 
Cloth decorative, i2mo, illustrated, $1.50 



Henrietta was the victim of circumstances. It was 
not her fault that her father, cut off from his expected 
inheritance because of his marriage, was unexpectedly 
thrown upon his own resources, nor that he proved to 
be a weakHng who left his wife and daughter to shift 
for themselves, nor that her mother took refuge in 
Colorado far away from their New England friends and 
acquaintances. Youth, however, will overcome much, 
and when Richard Bently appears in the mountains, 
Hfe takes on a new interest for Henrietta. 

When her mother dies Henrietta goes to live with 
Mrs. Lovell, who knew her father years ago in the 
little Vermont town. Mrs. Lovell determines to do 
what she can to secure for Henrietta the place in 
society and the inheritance that is rightfully hers. 
The means employed and the success attained — but 
that's the story. 

"Only Henrietta" is written in the happy vein that 
has secured for Mrs. Richards a host of friends and 
admirers, and is sure to duplicate the earlier suc- 
cesses achieved for the young people by the Blue 
Bonnet Series. 

"The chief charm of the book is that it contains so 
much of human nature and it is a book that will gladden 
the hearts of many girl readers because of its charming 
air of comradeship and reality." — The Churchman, 
Detroit, Mich. 




THE BUSINESS CAREER 
OF PETER FLINT 

~ By Harold Whitehead 



Assistant Professor of Business Method, The College 

of Business Administration, Boston University, 

author of "Dawson Black, Retail Merchant," 

"Principles of Salesmanship," etc. 

Illustrated, cloth, J2mo, $1.50 



As Assistant Professor of Business Method in Boston 
University's famous College of Business Administration, 
the author's lectures have attracted widespread atten- 
tion, and the popularity of his stories of business life, 
under the title of "The Business Career of Peter Flint," 
which have appeared serially in important trade mag- 
azines and newspapers all over the country, has created 
an insistent demand for their book publication. 

The public demand for these stories compelled the 
author to continue them so long that, were they all 
published in book form, they would constitute a set of 
several volumes. By careful and scrutinizing editorial 
work the author has recast the very best of this material 
for book publication, the result being a story that is 
virile, compelling r-nd convincing as it leads the reader 
through the muze of business entanglements. 

A New York business man wrote: "I have read with 
much interest the ' Career of Peter Flint,' appearing in 
the Evening Snn. 

" Having come to New York fresh from college 
twelve years ago, I appreciate fully Peter's experience. 
I want to say that I think your knowledge of human 
nature almost uncanny." 



fC8:9:8:r£8:8CB:(093£8:K63 




Selections from 

The Page Company's 

List of Fiction 



WORKS OF 

ELEANOR H. PORTER 

Each, one volume, cloth decorative, 12mo, illustrated, $1.50 
POLLYANNA: The GLAD Book (430,000) 

Trade Msrk Trade Mark 

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the Philadelphia North American, says: "And when, after 
PoUyanna has gone away, you get her letter saying she is 
going to take 'eight steps' tomorrow — well, I don't know just 
what you may do, but I know of one person who buried his 
face in his hands and shook with the gladdest sort of sadness 
and got down on his knees and thanked the Giver of all 
gladness for PoUyanna." 

POLLYANNA GROWS UP: The Second GLAD Book 

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When the story of Pollyanna told in The Glad Book was 
ended, a great cry of regret for the vanishing " Glad Girl " 
went up all over the country — and other countries, too. Now 
PoLLTANNA appears again, just as sweec and joyous-hearted, 
more grown up and more lovable. 

" Take away frowns ! Put down the worries ! Stop fidgeting 
and disagreeing and grumbling ! Cheer up, everybody ! Polly- 
anna has come back ! " — Christian Herald. 



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THE POLLYANNA CALENDAR 

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THE PAGE COMPANY'S 



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wonder why all girls are not like her." — Boston Transcript, 

SIX STAR RANCH (2othPrinting) 

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" 'Six Star Ranch' bears all the charm of the author's geniua 
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THE TURN OF THE TIDE 

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"A very beautiful book showing the influence that went to 
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